Team 5 : Polymers and Environment

The “Polymers & Environment” team is composed of chemists and physico-chemists specializing in polymer science, soft matter, colloidal systems, and bio-based materials. The team is headed by Etienne Grau, and includes Véronique Coma, Olivier Sandre, Christophe Schatz, and Gilles Sèbe.

The team was created in 2026 to address the urgent environmental challenges related to polymer materials. Our goal is to rethink the life cycle of polymers by integrating sustainability, recyclability, and environmental safety from the design stage onward.

Our research is organized into three main thematic axes:

• Safe-by-design of polymer synthesis: design of degradable, low-toxicity polymers using green chemistry approaches and structure–property–degradation relationships

• Recyclability and compatibilization: development of additive-assisted recycling processes, study of NIAS (non-intentionally added substances), and enhancement of mechanical recyclability

• Micro- and nanoplastics: investigation of particle formation, transformation, and detection in natural environments; development of materials and colloidal strategies for plastic depollution

Our activities span both fundamental and applied research, in collaboration with academic and industrial partners interested in building the next generation of safe, circular, and environmentally responsible polymer materials.