Wastewater represents a massive amount of water (13 to 15 million m3 / day in France) that could be used as a potentially worthwhile resource, regardless of seasonal droughts. However, wastewater treatment plants are currently not able to achieve in a cost-effective way a sufficient water quality for its reuse as a resource. Therefore, the development of efficient strategies for further eliminating micropollutants and improving the microbiological quality of water is required in order to meet the European Framework Directive on Water and to overcome future water shortages. In this context, REMemBer is an applied research project that aims to develop a sustainable wastewater treatment technology allowing: (i) the implementation of an innovative compact solution combining both secondary and tertiary treatments within the same process (ii) the improvement of the chemical and microbiological quality of treated water, (iii) the possibility to recycle the treated water, and (iv) a lower footprint and consumption of energy/chemicals . The project is based on the combination of the advantages of membrane bioreactors (MBR) and electrochemical processes in a single innovative unit while overcoming the main disadvantages of both technologies (membrane fouling, mass transfer limitations, etc.). The novelty of the REMemBer project lies in the use of reactive electrochemical membranes (REM) as flow-through electrodes. REM have already been synthesized and showed a strong potential to reduce limitations related to diffusion of pollutants from the bulk to the electrode surface. Based on these promising results, the scientific challenges that will be addressed in this project aim at reaching a new milestone through the implementation of REM in a one-pot process where both the biomass separation and the tertiary treatment would be achieved in a single reactor: a Reactive Electrochemical Membrane Bioreactor (RE-MBR). The objectives are: (i) to favor the electro-oxidation of micropollutants owing to the convection-enhanced mass transport of pollutants, (ii) to improve the disinfection by both electro-oxidation and local pH conditions and (iii) to control membrane fouling. The main scientific and technological challenges for the implementation of a RE-MBR at industrial scale lie in: (i) the development of reactive electrochemical ultrafiltration membranes from microfiltration membranes currently commercially available, (ii) the understanding of (electro)chemical, physical and biological mechanisms at the electrode-liquid interface, which are only slightly described in the literature for this application and (iii) the design and validation of an electrochemical cell allowing optimal control of RE-MBR effectiveness and scale-up for an industrial application. The REMemBer project aims to address these challenges by developing a multi-scale approach combining multidisciplinary experimental analyzes and modeling. The scientific program of the project is divided into five main scientific and technological tasks: REM elaboration, characterization and optimization (WP1); understanding of the mechanisms at the REM-liquid interface (WP2); assessment of global performances and effectiveness of the process at lab-scale (WP3); multi-scale modelling (WP4); development of a demonstrator for technical, economic and environmental analyses (WP5). The project brings together two university laboratories LGE (Université Gustave Eiffel) and IEM (Université Montpellier), an applied research institute (INRAE-PROSE), SIAAP (the Greater Paris Sanitation Authority (public industrial company)) and a small company specialized in development of innovative processes and technology transfer (FIRMUS).

Membrane processes know for several years a remarkable growth in the treatment of wastewaters because they are able to deal with water quality and flow fluctuations that conventional activated sludge processes can’t process. Their development remains nevertheless hampered by problems of membrane fouling, which have a negative impact both financial (related to clean-up costs) and environmental (related to the energy cost and chemicals used). Previous works to remove this lock focused on the optimization of operating conditions or configurations of membrane modules, but none of these alternatives has proved to be completely satisfying. Face of the disadvantages of these traditional solutions, the development of low-fouling and self-cleaning membranes would be a major paradigm shift. In this context, the LumiMem project addresses the problem of fouling in a very original way, through the development of a self-cleaning bright membrane textile, hollow fiber (HF) TiO2 polymer membranes with optic fibers (OF) equipped with LEDs UVA. This configuration will enable the in-situ irradiation of TiO2 nanoparticles during membrane filtration. The (super-)hydrophilic character of TiO2 would allow improving the flow water and limitation of the fouling while its photocatalytic and/or disinfectant activity by combination with UVA respectively would induce the degradation of organic matter fouling and a reduction in the development of biofilm on the surface of the membrane. The original goals of the LumiMem project state at several levels: -Design and mastering a new technology of membrane photofiltration, involving the new membrane textile material, to get a treated water of high quality while reducing the environmental impact of the operation (energy and emissions). -Use of new techniques (co-extrusion) to develop polymer hollow fiber containing nanoparticles of TiO2. -Understand and model the mechanisms involved during the developement of the new hollow fiber PVDF-TiO2. -Integrate the issue of sustainability of the technology by studying the ageing of the new membrane textile and comparing its environmental impact compared to the conventional ways of cleaning/cleaning. This new approach of development of TiO2-PVDF membranes and their association with optical fibers generates several scientific risks which have been evaluated and taken into account in the project LumiMem. However, the potential of the project states on preliminary work performed in IEM, having established the proof of concept for the "reference" case of flat-sheet membranes PVDF/TiO2 and having shown, for optimum conditions of development and under UV irradiation, the limitation of membrane fouling and their self-cleaning behavior. The ability to generate results in the LumiMem project is also supported by a consortium that includes academic and industrial actors with recognized, multidisciplinary and complementary skills: IEM Montpellier (development and implementation of membranes, photocatalysis, microbiological processes); LGC Toulouse (ageing of the membranes); Polymem Toulouse (the manufacturer of hollow fiber membranes); Brochier Technologies Villeurbanne (the manufacturer of optic fibers, expertise photocatalysis fabrics).

The ChanPulse project is dedicated to the development of an innovative class of molecular photothermal transducers for the controlled translocation of ions and water across lipid bilayers. Building on the discovery of artificial ion and water channels, this project focuses on the implementation of two-photon (2P) activated photothermal transducers as synthetic channels. Unlike conventional approaches, the project emphasizes the direct photoresponsiveness of channel constituents, ensuring precision without compromising the integrity of surrounding cell membranes. Temperature modulation, achieved through photothermy, offers a safe and controlled means to influence cellular functions, with potential therapeutic applications. The primary objectives include the synthesis and photophysical characterization of 2P-activated channels, the assessment of translocation through pulsed photothermal gradients in lipid bilayers, and the rationalization of photo-boosted transport through molecular modeling. The project's novelty lies in the creation of self-photothermal synthetic channels, a breakthrough with potential applications surpassing traditional light-activated molecular switches and photothermal nanoparticles. The ChanPulse project is poised to demonstrate the bottom-up formation of nanochannels and their activation through synergistic photothermal and mass transport processes. The anticipated impact encompasses showcasing the ability of photothermal molecules to enhance translocation, revealing transport mechanisms through adaptive artificial channels, and achieving the first active artificial channel capable of generating heat gradients. The ChanPulse project presents a promising avenue for advancing active transport technologies, with far-reaching implications for therapeutic interventions and technological innovations.

The SURHYMI project aims at developing a sustainable and integrated approach for the synthesis of hybrid mesoporous films and membranes densely and homogeneously functionalized by polymers, designed as platform materials for the elaboration of micropollutant removal devices. The control of the textural and chemical properties of the supported films and membranes (pore diameter and topology, and functions (acid, basic, cyclodextrin) in the mesopores), will allow to evaluate their performances in the reversible sorption of anionic, cationic and hydrophobic micropollutants based on electrostatic interactions or host-guest complexes. Novel polyion complex micelles (PIC) as well as host-guest inclusion complex (InC) micelles will be evaluated for the first time for their ability to controllably form a variety of ordered mesostructures by the sol-gel route, first as powders by macroscopic precipitation and then as films and membranes by deposition-evaporation. PIC micelles will be formed by electrostatic complexation between double-hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBC) and oppositely charged polyions, auxiliaries of micellisation. Poly(acrylic acid) and poly(aminoethylacrylamide) based DHBCs will be synthesized by RAFT in acidic media in order to protect the chain-transfer agent. Then, they will be used as platform polymers for the preparation by amidation reactions of a range of new DHBCs with beta-cyclodextrin (CD). Polymers with beta-CD functionalities will enable the formation of inclusion complex micelles (InC) with ditopic/multitopic guest species, which will be studied as silica structuring agents. PIC and InC assemblies will be evaluated for the first time as structuring, functionalizing and porogenic agents of functional mesoporous supported films and membranes. The new methodology developed should allow the preparation of materials whose mesopores will be intrinsically functionalized in a homogeneous and dense way by the targeted and previously prepared functions. The films will be prepared by evaporation induced assembly (EISA process). Depositions will be performed first on dense substrates, then on porous substrates. The disassembly of PIC and InC will allow the elution of the micellisation auxiliaries and will reveal the intrinsic functionalization of the layers with the three types of functions, acid, basic, and CD. The porous textures, thicknesses, density profiles and permeability of the functional films will be characterized. The influence of these properties will be evaluated for the sorption of model micropollutants as a function of physicochemical parameters (pH, concentration, ionic strength). Four organic micropollutants (hydrophilic cationic and anionic, as well as hydrophobic) were selected to demonstrate the specific and reversible character of the sorption mechanism in hybrid mesoporous silica-based platform materials. The kinetics, reversibility and repeatability of the sorption process will be studied as well as the chemical and structural recyclability and aging of the adsorbent materials. These results will be transferred to supported membranes to evaluate their filtration performance, chemical and structural stability and the mechanical properties of the prepared membrane materials.

The selective transport of ions and molecules across lipid bilayers is a key process to ensure integrity of living cells and to provide them with advanced functionalities. For instance, natural ion channels can be coupled to a source of energy in order to function out of thermodynamic equilibrium and generate gradients of concentrations (e.g. ATPase Ca2+ pump in the sarcoplasmic reticulum to achieve muscular contraction). Synthetic artificial nanopores have also recently demonstrated remarkable applicative interests for sensing, separation, and delivery processes. However, to the best of our knowledge, the engineering of nanopores capable of functioning out of thermodynamic equilibrium, and possibly capable of generating concentration gradients of ions or molecules, is not yet accessible with the current technologies. The CORNERSTONE project has for objective to equip artificial molecular channels with light-driven rotary motors as transducers in order to regulate selective transport processes across lipid membrane bilayers. It will focus on the out-of-equilibrium mechanical properties of such synthetic nanochannels, with the aim to understand in details their mechanical behavior upon motor rotation, and to control their transport properties in various conditions – possibly against concentration gradients. The rational design and full understanding of these active structures will be implemented along three classes of transporters, i.e. cations, anions, and water channels. The research program in CORNERSTONE will explore the possibilities offered by these new dynamic nanoobjects along 3 work packages including (i) the advanced syntheses of a series of molecular precursors combining various motors and binding hosts for channels formation, (ii) the experimental measurement and rationalization of the transport efficiency across phospholipid bilayers using various assays, and (iii) the precise determination of the motor actuation in relation with the transport mechanism.