
SYNFLUX-LUMICALS Project
© California Polytechnic State University
Synchronizing flux of photons, charges, and molecules for improved sunlight conversion into fuels and chemicals
Keywords
photo(electro)catalysis, solar fuels, bioinspired and hybrid systems

Summary
SYNFLUX-LUMICALS aims to develop innovative strategies for more efficient harvesting and utilization of light in solar fuel production devices. It is based on a nature-inspired approach to better understand, control, and synchronize spatial and temporal aspects ranging from photon absorption to charge generation, transport, and utilization through hybrid interfaces. It builds on advances in photovoltaics and multi-electronic redox catalysis to promote the emergence and scale-up of photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic devices composed exclusively of abundant elements, particularly molecular dyes. SYNFLUX-LUMICALS is structured in three parts, supported by a wide range of state-of-the-art characterization techniques.
Scientific expectations
Managers : F. Odobel, V. De Waele
Design and synthesis of dyes with tailored electronic properties, assembly on different platforms to maximize panchromatic absorption, and study of photochemical reactivity to optimize charge separation.
Managers : Z. Halime, N. Schneider
Implementation of innovative surface engineering techniques for heterogenization of catalysts on these platforms and for more efficient use of photogenerated charges (optimization of charge transfer, introduction of specific charge storage sites, exploration of new media for more efficient and selective CO2 reduction catalysis).
Managers : M. Prévot, M. Chavarot-Kerlidou
Integrate the best-performing platforms into optimized photocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic systems that meet the activity, selectivity, and stability requirements to produce a demonstration device that exceeds the state of the art.
Consortium
CEISAM • Nantes
Chimie Et Interdisciplinarité, Synthèse, Analyse, Modélisation
Stéphane Diring, Fabrice Odobel, Simon Pascal, Yann Pellegrin
I2BC • Gif-Sur-Yvette
Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell
Philipp Gotico, Winfried Leibl, Manuel Llansola Portoles, Pavel Muller, Andrew Pascal, Annamaria Quaranta, Bruno Robert
ICMMO • Orsay
Institut de chimie moléculaire et des matériaux d’Orsay
Zakaria Halime, Marie Sircoglou, Ally Aukauloo
INL • Lyon
Institut des Nanotechnologies de Lyon
Romain Bachelet, Clarisse Furgeaud, Anne Lamirand, José Penuelas, Philippe Regreny, Guillaume Saint-Girons
IPCM • Paris
Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire
Sébastien Blanchard, Guillaume Izzet, Anna Proust, Florence Volatron
IPCMS • Strasbourg
Institut de physique et chimie des matériaux de Strasbourg
Stefan Haacke, Arnaud Marquette
IPVF • Palaiseau
Institut Photovoltaïque d’Île-de-France
Damien Coutancier, Negar Naghavi, Nathanaëlle Schneider
IRCELYON • Lyon
Institut de recherches sur la catalyse et l’environnement de Lyon
Jérôme Canivet, Laurent Piccolo, Mathieu Prévot, Alessandra Quadrelli
ISMO • Saclay
Institut de science et d’ingénierie supramoléculaires
Minh-Huong Ha-Thi, Christophe Lefumeux, Thomas Pino, Karine Steenkeste
LASIRE • Lille
Laboratoire de Spectroscopie pour les Interactions
Vincent De Waele, Julien Dubois, Matthieu Hureau, Alain Moissettte, Thomas Roland
LCBM • Grenoble
Laboratoire Chimie et Biologie des Métaux
Vincent Artero, Murielle Chavarot-Kerlidou, Jennifer Fize, Vincent Forge, Matthieu Koepf, Bertrand Reuillard
LCH • Lyon
Laboratoire de Chimie de l’ENS Lyon
Margarida Costa Gomes, Tangui Le Bahers, Agilio Padua, Stephan Steinmann
LPICM • Palaiseau
Laboratoire de Physique des Interfaces et des Couches Minces
Pavel Boulkine, Pere Roca i Cabarrocas
NIMBE • Saclay
Nanosciences et Innovation pour les Matériaux, la Biomédecine et l’Énergie
Sophie Le Caer, Pierre Picot, Antoine Thill
SOLEIL/AILES • Saint-Aubin
Source Optimisée de Lumière d’Energie Intermédiaire du LURE
Jean-Blaise Brubach, Emiliano Fonda
SyMMES • Grenoble
Systèmes Moléculaires et nanoMatériaux pour l’Énergie et la Santé
Cyril Aumaître, Renaud Demadrille, Yann Kervella
UCCS • Lille
Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du
Andrei Khodakov, Vitaly Ordomsky






















SYNFLUX-LUMICALS project publications
Journal articles
- Yinghao Wang, Geqian Fang, Vitaly V Ordomsky, Andrei Y Khodakov. Polyoxometalate photocatalysts: solar-driven activation of small molecules for energy conversion and greenhouse gas valorization. Chemical Communications, 2025, 61 (58), pp.10630-10642. ⟨10.1039/D5CC01494H⟩. ⟨hal-05398932⟩
- Nicolas Queyriaux, Maria Wächtler, Christian Cariño, Sandra Alves, Benjamin Dietzek-Ivanšić, et al.. Covalent POM-Ir hybrid assemblies: tuning redox properties for light-driven multiple charge accumulation. Chemical Communications, 2025, 61 (53), pp.9682-9685. ⟨10.1039/D5CC01951F⟩. ⟨hal-05165875⟩
Conference papers
- Philipp Gotico. Leveraging CODH Enzyme Functionality for CO2 Reduction Catalyst Design. Department Lecture Series, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Nov 2025, Munich, Germany. ⟨hal-05493297⟩
- Murielle Chavarot-Kerlidou. A sunny journey in the field of artificial photosynthesis. Séminaire invité au laboratoire SyMMES, CEA Grenoble, Nov 2025, Grenobe, France. ⟨hal-05505765⟩
- Philipp Gotico. From Nature’s Blueprints to Chemical Innovations: Harnessing Sunlight and Valorizing Carbon Dioxide. I2BC Midday Lectures, Institut de biologie intégrative de la cellule (I2BC), Nov 2025, Gif Sur Yvette, France. ⟨hal-05493222⟩
- Murielle Chavarot-Kerlidou, Duc Nguyen Ngoc, Emmanouil Giannoudis, Tatiana Straistari, Jennifer Fize, et al.. Unassisted solar syngas production by a molecular dye-cobalt catalyst assembly in a tandem photoelectrochemical cell.. 5th International solar fuels conference, Sep 2025, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. ⟨hal-05493520⟩
- Vincent Artero. Hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen economies: contributions from photoelectrochemical technologies. 9émes journées du Groupement de recherche des Carburants Solaires (GDR Solar Fuels)- Colloque annuel du GDR Solar Fuels, Jul 2025, Strasbourg, France. ⟨hal-05337431⟩
- Philipp Gotico. Mimicking Functional Features of CO Dehydrogenase Toward Improved Catalyst Design for CO2 Conversion. The Many Facets of Photosynthesis 2025, French Society of Photosynthesis; GDR Integrative Biology of CO2 Capture; French Society of Photosynthesis, May 2025, Paris, France. ⟨hal-05493235⟩
- Fabrice Odobel. Chemical approaches to artificial photosynthesis. Japan-France Workshop on Photo-Electro-Responsive Molecules & Materials, Mar 2025, Gif -sur-Yvette, France. ⟨hal-05515618⟩
- Philipp Gotico. Deciphering Catalysis Control Through Bio-inspired Strategies. Department Lectures, Service de Bioénergétique, Biologie Structurale et Mécanismes, Institut des Sciences du Vivant Frédéric Joliot, Feb 2025, Gif Sur Yvette, France. ⟨hal-05493308⟩
Poster communications
- Sana Fatima, Philipp Gotico, Zakaria Halime. Development of porphyrin-based photocathodes for CO2 reduction. 9ièmes Journées Nationales des Carburants Solaires, Jul 2025, Strasbourg, France. ⟨hal-05493257⟩
- Matthieu Laffitte, Christian Cariño, Guillaume Izzet, Anna Proust. Development of photocathodes with improved charge extraction for efficient solar energy conversion. 9ièmes Journées Nationales des Carburants Solaires, Jul 2025, Strasbourg, France. ⟨hal-05493677⟩
- Albert Buenos, Philipp Gotico, Anja Krieger‐liszkay. Combining Artificial and Bacterial Photosynthesis for CO2 Conversion. 9ièmes Journées Nationales des Carburants Solaires, Jul 2025, Strasbourg, France. ⟨hal-05493919⟩
- Abhayashri Kamath Kandel, Philipp Gotico. Harnessing light for smarter CO2 reduction on hybrid electrodes. 9ièmes Journées Nationales des Carburants Solaires, Jul 2025, Strasboug, France. ⟨hal-05493182⟩
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