King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Yves Gnanou has held positions at various institutions around the globe. Starting his professional journey as a CNRS Scientist at Institut C. Sadron from 1984 to 1991, he later had the privilege to be a Visiting Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, USA, during 1989-1990.
During his association with University of Bordeaux from 1993 to 2007, he was promoted to Director of Research at CNRS and also helmed the Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères Organiques (LCPO), a laboratory with 80 personnel. Concurrently, Yves Gnanou served as a Courtesy Professor at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Florida from 2002 to 2007.
His leadership skills further shone when he undertook the role of Vice-President for Academic Affairs at the École Polytechnique in Paris, France, holding the position from 2007 to 2012. He then moved to King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Thuwal, Saudi Arabia, where he began as the Dean of the Division of Physical Science & Engineering,before ascending to the role of Vice-President for Academic Affairs in 2018.
On the research front, after joining KAUST, Yves Gnanou focused his efforts on the utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a sustainable raw material for plastic production. His work aimed to design carbon-negative plastics and develop fully degradable CO2-based polycarbonates as eco-friendly alternatives to conventional plastics. This research that resulted in the discovery of metal-free catalysts is now poised for industrial adoption, with companies like Shandong Lianxin Environmental Protection Technology in China gearing up to produce 25,000 tons of these CO2-based plastics.
Throughout his career, Yves Gnanou has been the recipient of numerous accolades and honors. In 1993, he was honored with the Polymer Division Award by the French Society of Chemistry. A decade later, in 2003, his exemplary work was recognized by the French Academy of Sciences, which bestowed upon him both the Langevin Prize and the Berthelot Medal. Yves Gnanou’s innovative endeavors were further highlighted in 2005 when he received the OSEO-ANVAR award for an innovation that led to the creation of a spin-off company. His distinguished service in academia was acknowledged in 2009 when he was inducted as a Member of the French Academy of Agriculture. Yves Gnanou’s dedication to the realm of education and his significant contributions to the nation were celebrated with the conferral of the title “Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques” in 2011 and “Chevalier dans l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur” in 2013.
CO2-based triblock copolymers, made of a central poly(propylene oxide-co-propylene carbonate) (PO-co-PC) block flanked by two polylactide1 or poly(tosyl propylene urethane) outer blocks2, were obtained in one-pot : a) by CO2/propylene oxide (PO), copolymerization using a difunctional initiator in the presence of triethylborane, b) then by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide or through copolymerization of p-tosyl isocyanate (TSI) with PO. Upon varying the pressure of CO2 during its copolymerization with PO, the carbonate vs ether content of the central PO-co-PCblock and thus its Tg could be fine-tuned. The resulting ABA triblock copolymers were then mechanically characterized; as their ether content progressively increased, a transition from brittle-to-ductile-to-elastomeric behavior could be seen. Copolymers including two poly(tosyl propylene urethane) outer blocks showed higher toughness than commercial polyolefins. As for triblock copolymers flanked by two polylactide blocks, they outperformed the mechanical performances of both high density polyethylene (HDPE) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) by all accounts, their elasticity modulus, tensile strength, toughness and elongation at break being indeed superior to those of the polyolefins tested. Unlike polyolefins, these polycarbonate-based triblock copolymers were all degradable, which adds to their attractiveness.
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