Context:

Polyphenols are secondary metabolites produced by plants which, among other things, contain more than one phenolic ring.1) They enable plants to combat pathogens and environmental stresses. When included in the diet, they provide health benefits due to their antioxidant properties. They also have applications in the chemical industry for leather tanning, as adhesives or plasticisers.2) The abundance and renewable nature of polyphenols make them an attractive alternative to resources of fossil origin. When incorporated into everyday products, they can help reduce the environmental impact of end-use applications. In recent work carried out within the team, we have demonstrated proof of concept for the installation of original, biomimetic functions on biosourced polyphenols, using green chemistry processes (3)

Thesis project:

In line with the initial results obtained within the team, this thesis project will focus on the : 1/ study of the influence of different reaction parameters to optimise the reaction conditions, 2/ application of optimised conditions to polyphenols with structures of increasing complexity, 3/ determination of the physico-chemical properties of functionalised polyphenols and 4/ study of reaction mechanisms using state-of-the-art analytical methods, including operando ones. It is expected that the development of original functionalisations will bring improved properties to the polyphenols studied, opening the door to new or extended uses. In the long term, modified polyphenols could find applications in materials as well as in human and plant health, providing potential answers to current environmental challenges.

Scientific environment:

The thesis project will be carried out in the new Pôle Chimie Balard building on the CNRS campus, within the Institut Charles Gerhardt in Montpellier, France.4) The successful candidate will thus benefit from a high-quality scientific environment in which to carry out his/her thesis project. He/she will be supervised by Thomas-Xavier Métro (ICGM, CNRS), in close collaboration with Hélène Fulcrand and Laurent Rouméas (IATE, INRAE), experts in polyphenol chemistry. The thesis is funded by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (via EDSCB).5) The start of the thesis is scheduled for October 1, 2025, for a duration of 36 months.

Profile:

Candidate should have a Master degree in chemistry, with solid skills in synthesis and in analytical methods (HPLC, IR, MS, NMR). Experience in polyphenol chemistry would be a plus. He/she will be motivated, passionate about chemistry and willing to take on challenges in sustainable chemistry.

Application:

Please send your CV (french or english), including names and contact details of two scientific references, Master’s grades and cover letter in pdf format to Thomas-Xavier Métro (thomas- xavier.metro[at]umontpellier.fr). Applications will be evaluated as they come in, with a deadline of March 30th.

References:

1) Quideau, S. et. al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 2011, 50, 586-621, http://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201000044;

2) Pizzi, A. Techniques de l’ingénieur Bois et papiers 2019, http://doi.org/10.51257/a-v1-n4208; 3) Unpublished results;

4) https://polechimie-balard.fr; 5) https://edscb.umontpellier.fr