Lipid cubosomes and hexosomes are fascinating structures with a highly ordered porous scaffold (thanks to the presence of internal water channels) and a high bilayer-water interfacial area, which make them suitable for applications such as structural biology, drug delivery, catalysis, biosensors and material synthesis. Polymer liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNs) also exist and can attain much larger structural parameters, but they suffer from difficulties in their formulation and restricted range of existence. The main bottleneck to the wide use of lipid LCNs is the cost and the limited range of structural parameters (i.e. internal channel size and lattice spacing) attainable with monolein and phytantriol, the mostly used constituents. In an original and simple way, we want to address these two major limitations and extend the achievable lattice sizes of LCNs using economic alternatives (100 times less expensive raw materials). We propose to mix Vitamin E (VitE) derivatives and structurally compatible macromolecules (block and gradient-like copolymers containing VitE in the hydrophobic block) with the aim to obtain stable, reproducible dispersions of LCNs whose topology and structural parameters can be modulated by the copolymer composition and amount. In order to do that, NoVELX consortium will gather together molecular chemists, polymer chemists, physical chemists and a biologist in order to : i) address the synthesis of VitE derivatives (both small molecule and copolymers); ii) characterize the physico-chemical properties of the new LCNs (i.e. size, dispersion, internal channel size, loading and release of model drugs); iii) verify the theurapeutic efficiency of the loaded model drugs. Our results will inspire the design of other new LCNs with tuneable characteristics and help the next generation of nanocarriers in its way to the market.

Continuous processes based on Structured Catalytic Supports (SCS) are widely used in industry. Indeed this type of support allows an important surface over volume ratio, a small pressure loss, efficient mass transfers, an intimate mixing of the reagents, and an easy separation of the products from the catalyst. Among the variety of SCS, open cell foams are prime candidates, which fulfill all these features. Of ceramic or metallic constitution, these host architectures are ideal supports for metallic particles. The preparation of these foams however requires several steps, and the physisorption of metallic particles a thermic treatment at very high temperature. This expensive and energy consuming way of preparation represents an important drawback in the development of this kind of catalyst, especially when taking into account the current economic and ecological constraints. Moreover these foams present a number of others drawbacks inherent to their structure: (i) they are heavy and thus difficult to handle, (ii) they are not flexible and usually display micro-cracks, which render them breakable, (iii) they present many closed cells, which renders the reproducibility unpredictable, and (iv) the recovery of the expensive catalyst adsorbed on the foam often necessitates numerous chemical treatments in highly corrosive media. With POLYCATPUF, we propose an alternative based on the use of polyurethane open cell foams (OCPUF). These foams, commercially available in very large quantities and at low cost, present the same structural properties than ceramic or metallic foams, with the advantage to be easily engineered because of their lightweight and mechanical flexibility (elastomer). Recently, we have demonstrated that the whole surface of this polymeric structured material can be efficiently coated with polydopamine (PDA). This layer of PDA (OCPUF@PDA) allows the grafting of inorganic nanoparticles, as well as the covalent anchoring of organic compounds (Patent WO 2016 012689 A2). Moreover this coating process is industrially valuable because it operates at room temperature in water in the sole presence of dopamine and a buffer. These preliminary results constitute the basis of our project. POLYCATPUF is a frontier research project that involves the close collaboration of three academic partners, mastered in surface science and materials, catalysis, and chemical engineering, and of an industrial partner. A consortium based on an experience of several years between the partners. The project aims to demonstrate all the potentialities offered by open cell polymeric foams as support for both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. First of all, the covalent anchoring of homogeneous catalysts opens the door to a large variety of catalysts that were unconceivable with ceramic or metallic foams. The possibility to graft both single-site and multi-site catalysts allows conceiving processes of combined catalysis. Thanks to the presence of an industrial partner, the use of OCPUF as catalytic support will also be evaluated in an industrial reactor. Finally based on the elastic properties of OCPUF, innovative reactors will be envisioned. The use of these OCPUF as catalytic supports may thus have a significant scientific, technologic, economic, and ecologic impact on the current industrial processes, from which might benefit the whole society.

Polymerization in dispersed media - mostly aqueous emulsion and suspension – is a major solvent-free technology accounting for 20% of the world polymer production. European leadership in this strategic market can only be maintained by training a creative, entrepreneurial and innovative next generation of researchers. Submitted to the H2020-MSCA-ITN-2017 call, the proposal entitled PHOTO-S-LATEX aims at improving the career prospect of 10 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) through an interdisciplinary research programme focused on 2 outcomes. 1. Fundamentals of scientific knowledge gained in the development of a breakthrough process: thiol-ene photopolymerization in dispersed media developed by the ETN coordinator. The new combination of step-growth radical polymerization and light mediation opens avenues for improved process conditions as regards polymer architecture control, particle functionalization, minimal residual monomer concentration, efficiency, safety, energy consumption, and compactness. Additionally, there is a wind of change on products, with the onset of new waterborne polysulfide coatings with high performance properties (high barrier films, self-healing) or biobased, biologically-active nanoparticles, powder aerosols and highly porous polymers. 2. Transferable and specialized skills learned through research-related activities, industrial secondments, and innovative training methods such as tandem ESRs, distance language learning, ESR as itinerant science educator, online courses, and ESR-led subproject. Such comprehensive set of competences are likely to make ESRs able to face the challenge of translating knowledge into marketable and sustainable products useful for society. PHOTO-S-LATEX aims at excellence in doctoral training through a synergistic high-quality research network including 8 internationally reputed academic institutions, 4 leading industries and 2 non-profit organisations. The consortium diversity expresses through the participation of 7 different European nationalities (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Spain), and 45% female (co)scientists-in-charge.

Electrically conductive polymer materials are among the functional polymer materials with high added value for multiple emerging applications, particularly in the field of flexible electronics or plastronics. 2 main strategies for obtaining a conductive polymer material: the first one consists in dispersing various conductive fillers (mainly carbon nanotubes or metallic particles) by extrusion in a thermoplastic matrix. The second one consists in using one of the intrinsically conductive polymers (mainly polyanilines, polypyrrols or even polythiophenes). Recently, one of these intrinsically conductive polymers, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) PEDOT reaches electrical conductivity close to metals (around 1000 S/cm). The ELABELEC project proposes to effectively combine these 2 approaches by using fillers with different form factor (1D, 2D and 3D) whose surfaces will be modified by the polymerization of PEDOT layers (core-shell type morphology) to make them conductive. These modified fillers will then be dispersed in a thermoplastic matrix by melt extrusion to obtain electrically conductive composites. Experimental electrical percolation curves and associated theoretical models of the different systems will be discussed. The as-produces electrically conductive composites will be process by 3D printing (FDM technology) in order to produce various proofs of concept in the field of plastronics, such as the production of 100% polymer printed circuits.

While it is well known that the drying of latex films play a critical role in paints, cosmetics and inks, a realistic description of the drying process is in fact not yet available. The final properties of the film, such as its adhesion, its optical and mechanical properties depend not only on the formulation of the suspension, but also on the drying process itself and on the way that its components behave during drying. Films not only consist of solvent and colloids, but also of various additives such as surfactants, mineral charges, pigments... which are added in order to obtain the final desired properties. Drying essentially consists in the evaporation of the solvent that involves several complex physical phenomena. The process of drying creates fluxes of matter, both along the plane of the film, as well as in the direction perpendicular to its thickness. These fluxes are greatly modified when the volume fraction of the solid charges reach the random close packing, and they finally stop, leading to the final local composition of the film. Two approaches have been followed in order to describe these phenomena: (i) an empirical one, based on trial and error in order to optimize the film formulation and process leading to the desired properties and (ii) an analytical one, based on a simplification of the system and of the phenomena at play during drying, that allow a precise understanding of the phenomena at play, but that cannot describe the drying of real films.The goal of our project is to develop a numerical simulation tool of the mechanisms at work during drying and to predict the final properties of the dried film and in particular its local final composition and its adhesive strength on its support. To this end, we will use a cellular automata approach that will allow the description of the local equation of transport of each component of the suspension. Having begun to implement this approach for the simplest situations, we will now use its versatility in order to implement progressively the different components and the different flows of matter at work during drying.To this aim, we will also perform experimental measurements of two kinds, the first ones being used as basic ingredients for the development of the numerical model and the second ones serving to validate the results of the model:(i) Precise optical profilometry measurements will be performed, with the main aim of determining the curvature of the surface close to the front between the region of the film where the volume fraction of the suspension exceeds close packing (the gel phase), and the less concentrated, liquid phase region. This determination will be used as an ingredient of the numerical model as it will allow the assessment of the capillary pressures responsible for flows inside the film.(ii) The numerical results will be compared with the experimental measurements of the particle distribution across the film, as measured by X-ray tomography and to the adhesion forces exerted by the film during and after drying onto the substrate, as measured by Traction Force Microscopy.This project will provide the scientific and industrial community with a realistic model of film drying, taking into account the full composition and all the transport phenomena at work during drying. Moreover, the precise measurement of the profile with time will lead to fundamental knowledge about the origins of the flows during drying. By detailing the rational mechanism linking the initial formulation to the final properties of the film, this project will provide guidance towards improving the formulation of latices with a reduced content in volatile organic compounds.