Valérie Caps

• Coordinator project ANR TOGETHER-FOR-CO2
• HDR research supervision accreditation "Surfaces et interfaces : de la catalyse hétérogène à la catalyse induite par le plasmon" (Université de Strasbourg 2025)
• Organization Summer School « Materials for the Environment and the Society » (ITI HiFunMat 2024)
• Organization conference « Challenges and opportunites of light-induced metal catalysis » (GDRs Or-nano/Plasmonique active 2023)
• Coordination of gender equality actions CNRS Alsace

An inorganic chemist by training, I have developed expertise in the development of composite nanomaterials for catalytic applications, mainly based on metals, oxides and carbons. This expertise includes the design of tailor-made chemical syntheses, the in-depth characterization of the obtained composites, in terms of composition, size, interfacing and interaction between the different components, and the study of the catalytic reaction (reaction mechanisms). The formulation of the materials is rationally optimized on the basis of correlations between structural configuration and catalytic properties. Involved in the fields of environment and energy, I have focused my research on the development of more selective and sustainable catalysts, in particular based on gold nanoparticles.

I am currently developing plasmonic catalysts for artificial methane photosynthesis. I am seeking to understand the mechanisms of this reaction, in collaboration with researchers from the Fresnel Institute, the LPCNO and the LCC. I am evaluating the potential and specificities of plasmon-induced catalysis, resulting from the confinement of light in metal nanoparticles.

• Since 2012 : CNRS researcher at ICPEES (Strasbourg, France)
• 2009-2012 : Seconded researcher at KAUST (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
• 2003-2009 : CNRS researcher at IRCELYON (Lyon, France)
• 2002-2003 : Post-doctorate, Max Planck Institut für Kohlenforschung (Germany)
• 2001-2002 : Post-doctorate, Johnson-Matthey (Sonning Common, United Kingdom)
• 1997-2001 : PhD, University of Reading (United Kingdom)

Leila Hammoud, Claire Strebler, Joumana Toufaily, Tayssir Hamieh, Valérie Keller, Valérie Caps,* The role of the gold-platinum interface in the AuPt/TiO₂-catalyzed plasmon-induced reduction of CO₂ with water, Faraday Discussions 242 (2023) 443-463.  https://doi.org/10.1039/D2FD00094F

Christine M. Aikens, Hakim Amara, Vincenzo Amendola, Francesca Baletto, Stephan Barcikowski, Noelia Barrabés, Valérie Caps, Fuyi Chen, Daojian Cheng, Vana Chinnappa Chinnabathini, Emmanuel Cottancin, Isaac Daniel, Kobe De Knijf, Alessandro Fortunelli, Didier Grandjean, Graham J. Hutchings, Ewald Janssens, Robert M. Jones, Christian Kuttner, Alexander Large, Eric Marceau, Marcelo M. Mariscal, Pinkie Ntola, Jonathan Quinson, Mzamo Shozim, Swathi Swaminathan, Mona Treguer-Delapierre, Lichang Wang, Hans-Christian Weissker, Miguel José Yacaman, Yufei Zhang, Nanoalloy catalysis and magnetic and optical properties: general discussion,Faraday Discussions 242 (2023) 522-541. doi.org/10.1039/D2FD90088B

Pablo Jiménez-Calvo, Loïc Michel, Valérie Keller, Valérie Caps,* Titania-Carbon Nitride Interfaces in Gold-Catalyzed CO Oxidation, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces 17 (2021) 61015–61026. doi.org/10.1021/acsami.1c16159

Loïc Michel, Sécou Sall, Thierry Dintzer, Cerise Robert, Antoine Demange, Valérie Caps,* Graphene-supported 2D cobalt oxides for catalytic applications, Faraday Discussions 227 (2021) 259-273. doi.org/10.1039/C9FD00110G

Xuemei Liao, Yanmin Liu, Wei Chu, Sécou Sall, Corinne Petit, Véronique Pitchon, Valérie Caps,* Promoting effect of AuCu alloying on Au-Cu/CeO₂-catalyzed CO oxidation: a combined kinetics and in situ DRIFTS study, Journal of Catalysis 382 (2020) 329-338. doi.org/10.1016/j.jcat.2019.12.029

Valérie Caps,* Renewable energy nanosources for sustainable biomass conversion, Chem 5 (2019) 2746-2748. doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2019.09.014