Projet 1: Alloy design and anti-corrosion/anti abrasion materials development
The complexity and number of variables for the design and manufacturing of new products are significantly related to the understanding of the end-user specific needs and problems, to find viable, cost-effective and more importantly, highly reliable solutions. The main objective of our approach is based on the development of materials with already targeted specifications: the design and preparation of materials tackling the problematic related to both abrasion and corrosion.
Projet 2: Physicochemical determinants of root-particle interactions: engineering safe and sustainable next-generation nanofertilizers for enhanced phosphorous efficiency
The inefficient use of fertilizers in conventional agricultural practices leads to an increase in agrochemical use, increase in cost, and health and environmental impacts upon their release to the environment. Nanotechnology offers new opportunities to develop more efficient fertilizers formulation by enabling size- and surface chemistry-dependant behaviours that can be engineered to enhance plant delivery. In this project, fundamental understanding of the interactions of nanocarriers with plants and determination of the influence of these interactions on nutrient uptake by plants is targeted. The selected nanocarriers are tested in different soils representative of Moroccan agricultural conditions, investigating for instance how the higher salinity and acidity of Moroccan soils can affect nanocarriers’ performance.
Projet 3: Functionalized composite cements for medical applications.
This project is focused on the formulation of composite cements by associating neat and functionalized polymers. A particular interest in the grafting of the phosphate functions on these polymers has been established for an application in orthopaedics. These injectable cements with in situ hardening constitute a minimally invasive approach and thus offer a particular advantage over conventional synthetic implants for bone regeneration purpose.
Projet 4: Smart polymers for targeted fertilization
Stimulable polymers are very sensitive macromolecules, capable of rapid and reversible changes in the physical properties of their local environment. These changes occur as drastic alterations of one of the following parameters: shape, surface characteristics, solubility, formation of a complex molecular self-assembly and sol-gel transition. These transformations are initiated by temperature, pH, light, ionic strength […]. Hence, the main goal of the project is the transfer of technology already existing in the medical area to the fertilization field, by the synthesis of new stimulable biodegradable and functional polymeric systems where nutrients (N, P, K) and oligo-elements (Zn, B, Fe, Mo, Cu, Mn, Ni, Se) will be loaded. The system called smart biopolymer for fertilization (SPF) will contain functional polymer as carrier that should deliver nutrients or not following the plant assimilation (uptake) phases. In that way, fertilization efficiency must be enhanced by avoiding the problematic of nutrients losses as well as negative impact on the ecosystem.
Projet 5: Microencapsulation Technology for Self-Healing Materials Applications
The aim of this project is to develop self-healing anticorrosion coatings with enhanced flame-retardant properties to protect metallic surfaces. The focus of this study is on extrinsic self-healing technology based on the encapsulation of healing agents. To achieve our purpose, a natural healing agent has been selected to be encapsulated in phosphorylated biopolymer shell materials. Thus, the biopolymer bearing phosphonate groups was prepared via phosphorylation reaction under specific conditions. The effect of the phosphonate group in combination with the healing agent was investigated as anti-corrosion additives.
Projet 6: Eco-friendly, Safe and Cost-efficient Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Batteries (ESC-LiSiBs)
The objective of the project is the development of Eco-friendly, Safe, and Cost-Efficient Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Batteries.
First, our concern is the synthesis of Novel and High Energy Density Phosphate cathodes using facile preparation routes. To this end, eco-friendly and low-cost Iron (II) based Phosphates are targeted. Advanced characterizations in collaboration with international groups (KIT, University of Pau, SESAME) was implemented for deep understandings of the electrochemical behavior of the prepared materials.
Second, this project consists of the formulation of Novel Solid-State Electrolytes (SSEs) for All-solid-state batteries and testing them using the in-house prepared cathodes.