Associate Professor
Loreleï Douard obtained her PhD in chemistry in 2022 at the University of Grenoble Alpes in Grenoble, at the Laboratory of Process Engineering for Biorefinery, Biomaterials and Functional Printing (LGP2). After 18 months of post-doctoral research on a technology maturation project for the development of complex fluids in radiofrequency applications, she then held a position as a Temporary Teaching and Research Assistant (ATER) at the Faculty of Science and Technology and at the Polymer Materials Engineering Laboratory (IMP) in Saint-Étienne. She was appointed Senior Lecturer in September 2025 at the Université du Littoral Côte d’Opale, in the Chemistry Department, and conducts her research at the UCEIV laboratory within the Supramolecular Chemistry team.
Her research activities focus on:
- The valorisation of lignocellulosic biomass and the development of sustainable processes (mechanochemistry, sonochemistry, green chemistry) for the transformation of renewable resources.
The extraction, fragmentation, modification and functionalisation of biomass. - The design of bio-based polymeric materials and solutions with low environmental impact.
- The integration of supramolecular chemistry concepts (deep eutectic solvents) into the structuring and functionalisation of these materials.
Significant publications
- L. Douard, J. Bras, T. Encinas, and M. N. Belgacem, ‘Natural acidic deep eutectic solvent to obtain cellulose nanocrystals using the design of experience approach’, Carbohydrate Polymers, vol. 252, p. 117136, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117136
- Douard, L.; Belgacem, M. N.; Bras, J. Extraction of Carboxylated Nanocellulose by Combining Mechanochemistry and NADES. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 2022, 10 (39), 13017–13025., doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c02783
- S. Dalle Vacche, L. Douard, et al., ‘Valorization of Byproducts of Hemp Multipurpose Crop: Short Non-Aligned Bast Fibers as a Source of Nanocellulose’, Molecules 2021, 26 (16), 4723., doi: 10.3390/molecules26164723.
Chapter of Book and Patent
- M. Le Gars, L. Douard, N. Belgacem, and J. Bras, ‘Cellulose Nanocrystals: From Classical Hydrolysis to the Use of Deep Eutectic Solvents’, in Smart Nanosystems for Biomedicine, Optoelectronics and Catalysis, T. Shabatina and V. Bochenkov, Eds. IntechOpen, 2020. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.89878.
- L. Douard, J. Bras, and N.M. Belgacem, ‘Nanocellulose extraction by combining Mechanochemistry and NADES’, Patent submission: B04682 FR-RT2021098.