My research focuses on the discovery of novel chemical transformations and use in catalysis of renewable resources, in particular for the synthesis of sustainable polymers.

Research projects in our group include:

• Small molecules (e.g. CO₂, H₂O) activation and transformation
• Carbohydrate chemistry and catalysis
• Synthesis of novel monomers and polymers from renewable resources, in particular sugars
• Organic and inorganic catalyst design
• Polymerisation catalysis
• Computational chemistry (Density Functional Theory Modelling) for mechanistic studies
• Application of sustainable polymers (3D printing, packaging, elastomers, battery electrolytes, catalysis, health materials...)

Why?

Polymers (the molecules of plastics) are today everywhere, and there lies the problem, as their dependence on depleting fossil-fuel resources and their environmental persistence make them unsustainable. To develop sustainable polymers that are cost- and performance-competitive with the dominating oil-based polymers is a major challenge to achieve a circular and sustainable economy of plastics. Towards that goal, catalysis is a central enabling technology to develop 1) new monomers from renewable feedstock, 2) more efficient routes to produce related polymeric materials, capable of substituting petrochemicals and 3) novel end-of life options for these polymers.

Group website

www.buchardgroup.org

Biography

Originally from France, Antoine obtained his PhD from the Ecole Polytechnique in 2009, under the supervision of Prof Pascal Le Floch. He then moved to the UK and worked at Imperial College London as a postdoctoral research assistant in the group of Prof Charlotte K. Williams, in the area of CO2/epoxide copolymers and poly(lactic acid). Antoine returned to France in 2011 and gained industrial R&D experience, working for Air Liquide on Carbon Capture, Storage and Utilisation (CCSU) projects. In April 2013 Antoine began his independent research career at the CSCT as a Whorrod Research Fellow, investigating novel chemical transformations and use in catalysis of renewable resources, in particular for the synthesis of sustainable polymers. In October 2017 Antoine was awarded a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.