Guillaume Lefèvre, CNRS Bronze Medal 2023

Guillaume LEFÈVRE, alumni of the chemistry department, received the CNRS Bronze Medal in 2023. Today, he is a research associate (CRCN) at CNRS within the i-CleHS laboratory (Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, UMR8060), "exploring" the chemistry of non-noble metals. Let's focus on his journey and research...

Can you describe your academic journey?

I joined ENS Paris-Saclay – specifically ENS Cachan, in 2005. I pursued the Magistère de Physico-Chimie Moléculaire, jointly with Paris-Sud XI University, and prepared for the chemistry aggregation in 2007. After a thesis on catalysis with transition metals, I joined CNRS in 2014 at CEA Saclay, in Thibault Cantat's group, to work on the valorization of CO2 and its monocarbon derivatives, such as methanol. 

Today, I am a research associate (CRCN) at CNRS within the i-CleHS laboratory (Institute of Chemistry for Life and Health Sciences, UMR8060, led by Carlo Adamo), where I lead a research group focused on the use of non-noble metals in organometallic catalysis, within the CSB2D team (Catalysis, Synthesis of Biomolecules and Sustainable Development, led by Virginie Vidal). 

What are your current research areas?

My research is focused on developing new molecular catalysts based on iron, mainly involving low oxidation states, intended for use in carbon-carbon bond formation processes. 

A significant part of this work is also dedicated to understanding the mechanisms involved, which is essential to develop more efficient catalytic systems. 

Therefore, even though the projects I develop aim to achieve new transformations in the field of organic chemistry, a large part of our activities also involves analyzing the physicochemical properties of our objects, using spectroscopic, analytical, electrochemical techniques, etc. Understanding the reactivity of the organometallic compounds we manipulate often requires a range of preliminary characterizations.

What is your involvement in the ERC dedicated to the development of new organometallic platforms?

Working on this European project represents about three-quarters of my research time in the laboratory. It is a fantastic opportunity to develop these essentially fundamental research topics independently and explore all possible avenues.

What is also your role in the joint laboratory Pherochem, dedicated to synthesizing insect pheromones to replace pesticides?

This is a project led by CNRS and M2i LifeSciences, initiated in 2015 by Gérard Cahiez, then director of research at Chimie ParisTech. I am currently the coordinator of this project and the thesis director of the CIFRE-contracted doctoral students involved. Concretely, we apply the expertise developed in the laboratory in terms of iron catalysis to develop new total syntheses of pheromonal actives in greener and more cost-effective conditions. It is an extremely motivating project because it allows us to bridge the gap between fundamental, more academic research conducted in the laboratory, and their concrete, practical applications, enabling us to bring high-value-added products to the market, which we have been able to manufacture following all these preliminary studies.

What does the CNRS Bronze Medal mean to you?

It is, of course, a great joy! The approach I follow in my research is to try to maximize the coordination chemistry of the objects I work with, with the organic transformations that may involve them; I am very happy that CNRS recognizes this approach by awarding this prize. I am also obviously very grateful to all colleagues, collaborators, and especially the students, with whom I have worked on these projects in recent years. It is teamwork, and it is important for me to emphasize that.

What are your projects?

Continue to explore the chemistry of non-noble metals... as soon as you think you are approaching a solution to a problem or an answer, you also raise three times as many questions. It's a topic that seems inexhaustible to me!