Research Th. Zemb

At UMR Claude Fréjacques (1979 – 1985)

Demonstration by SAXS/SANS & Rayleigh/quasi-elastic light of the structure of the o/w interface of direct and inverse micelles.

At the Australian National University (1985 – 1989)

Investigation and understanding of the electrical anti-percolation phenomenon observed in many microemulsions and general explanation by the stacking constraints of molecular films.

At the Small Angle Scattering Laboratory (created in 1989 – 1992) in the Molecular Chemistry Department

First detection of weak w/o aggregates at the origin of all liquid-liquid extraction and are not only supramolecular complexes of fixed stoichiometry.

At the LIONS laboratory (created in 1992 – 2003)

In the search for model solid surfaces enabling the study of ion separation, fortuitous discovery of the existence of giant "catanionic" colloids formed of solid bilayers of size and shape that can be controlled by formulation.

At the Institut de Chimie Séparative de Marcoule (2004 – )

Management of activities linking the structure and thermodynamics of colloidal systems for separation. Thanks to the REE-CYCLE ERC, development of the "ienaic" approach in collaboration with J.-F. Dufrêche. This has led to the multi-scale observation, understanding, and implementation of hydrotropes for sober extraction without surfactants, but also without solvents or even extractants.

Projects in progress in 2024

Highly hydrophilic surfactants forming direct micelles without water and their applications, direct micelles with Univ. Regensburg, pheromones, and aerosols with MPIKG Potsdam and Université de Tours, and anti-viral nanoparticles with Freie Univ. Berlin.

In the small-angle X-ray laboratory at Saclay (1988 – 1992)

Design and construction on a single rotating anode source of two original X-ray cameras with a dynamic range of three decades in scattering angle and 4 decades in absolute intensity for use on numerous colloidal systems, including the first detection of weak aggregates responsible for extraction as implemented at La Hague & application of the same optics in the APS Soleil (initial configuration of the ID02 line).

In the LIONS group (1992 – 2003)

Development of a complete osmotic pressure platform covering seven decades: equation of state of latex, catanionic systems, swelling by impregnation of wood, control of mixed phospholipid and glycolipid membranes.

ICSM (2004 – 2015)

Development of an optically isolated instrumented apparatus and sonochemistry.

ERC REE-CYCLE (2013 – 2019)

On-line X-ray fluorescence measurement device for milli-fluidic extraction (with Jean-Christophe Gabriel).

Projects in progress in 2024

Development of a Rayleigh quasi-elastic scattering DLS device coupled to a turbidimeter and a reflectometer with an industrial company (Cordouan Instruments), and gentle centrifugation coupled to a fast mixer used close to a critical composition with ENSIACET (Toulouse).