POAT-CO2-V : Plasma-driven Oxygen Atom Transfer for CO₂ Valorisation
Description of the PhD project
The 2PM group at Chimie ParisTech–PSL, headed by Prof. M. Tatoulian, is a pioneer in the integration of plasma activation within continuous-flow chemistry, with major advances in the optimisation of plasma–liquid interactions and the design of flow plasma reactors. This expertise has given rise to two deep-tech start-ups : ENERGO, which converts CO₂ and biogas into green methanol, and Plaskimia, which industrialises plasma flow chemistry for fine-chemical synthesis. Plaskimia financially supports the POAT-CO2-V project, whose target applications in the flavour and fragrance sector lie at the very core of its business. The doctoral project will thus be carried out in close collaboration with both spin-offs, offering the PhD candidate a rare research environment where cutting-edge science translates directly into industrial innovation – and the opportunity to shape the future of electrified, sustainable chemical manufacturing.
Oxygen atom transfer (OAT) (the insertion of an oxygen atom into organic substrates), plays a central role in industrial and pharmaceutical chemistry, yet calls for more sustainable technologies. Among the most challenging transformations are the epoxidation of C═C double bonds1 and the hydroxylation of C─H bonds.2,3 Industrial oxidation processes typically rely on radical mechanisms, suffering from limited selectivity, over-oxidation and difficulty in activating less reactive substrates.
While hydroxylation of activated benzylic C─H bonds is industrially mature, with yields exceeding 95% for p terephthalic acid,2 it remains challenging for more demanding reactions. A key example is the oxidation of cyclohexane into cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone (KA oil),3 essential intermediates for adipic acid and ε caprolactam in nylon production. This air/cobalt-catalysed process suffers from low selectivity (70–80% at only 4–5% conversion) and high energy input.
Increasing attention is therefore being paid to more sustainable oxidation strategies, such as electrochemical4 and photochemical approaches5 that use molecular oxygen or water. However, these methods still generally exhibit limited activity or insufficient selectivity for industrial deployment.
Cold plasma technology offers a promising alternative : it generates highly reactive oxygen species, enabling more selective reactions with substrates while minimising energy losses and unwanted side reactions. At the 2PM team, non-thermal plasma has been successfully applied in biphasic gas–liquid segmented flow microreactors.6 This configuration enables a small inter-electrode gap, facilitating plasma formation in the gas phase while enhancing mass transfer with the liquid phase, together with improved heat management and energy efficiency. The POAT-CO2-V project aims to integrate plasma-assisted OAT into these optimised flow conditions to further enhance performance.
Beyond direct oxygenation, the POAT-CO2-V project also explores carbon circularity through the valorisation of CO₂-derived methanol, produced by ENERGO’s non-thermal plasma conversion of CO₂ and biogas. This opens circular chemical value chains, where low-value carbon streams are upgraded into useful intermediates.
Methanol can then be upgraded into high-value products within the same plasma–flow framework : cold plasma enables catalyst-free esterification of carboxylic acids with methanol, with applications in flavour, fragrance and fine chemistry.7 In this perspective, CO₂-derived methanol becomes a versatile C1 building block rather than an end product.
Overall, the plasma–flow platform developed at 2PM represents a versatile and unifying approach for both selective oxygenation of challenging substrates and efficient valorisation of CO₂-derived methanol. By combining oxidation chemistry with C1 feedstock upgrading, the POAT-CO2-V project opens the way to a fully electrified, decarbonised chemical production chain and a broader vision of sustainable, plasma-enabled molecular manufacturing.
Keywords
Plasma – Microfluidics – CO₂ valorisation –Flow chemistry – Green chemistry
Research Unit, UMR number and acronym
ENSCP - Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris – IRCP- UMR 8247
Description of the research Unit/subunit
The Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris (IRCP, UMR 8247) is a joint research unit of Chimie ParisTech-PSL and CNRS, covering molecular chemistry, materials science and process engineering. The PhD will be hosted by the 2PM team (Procédés, Plasmas, Microsystèmes), whose research lies at the interface between non-thermal plasma chemistry, microfluidics and flow chemistry. 2PM has pioneered gas–liquid segmented-flow plasma microreactors for the selective, catalyst-free functionalisation of organic substrates (oxidation, amination, fluorination) under mild conditions, leading to high-impact publications, patents and the creation of the spin-off company Plaskimia. The team combines skills in plasma physics and diagnostics, chemical engineering, organic synthesis and analytical chemistry, and operates a complete experimental platform : microreactor design and fabrication, high-voltage power supplies, optical emission spectroscopy, and online GC, GC-MS and NMR analysis, together with scale-up (numbering-up) capabilities.
Name of the supervisor
Alain Favre-Reguillon (simona.cocco@ens.psl.eu)
Name of the co-supervisor
Stéphanie Ognier (remi.monasson@ens.psl.eu)
3i Aspects of the proposal
Alain Favre-Reguillon (HDR) will ensure the day-to-day supervision of the PhD student, bringing his expertise in organic synthesis, oxidation chemistry and continuous-flow processes. Stéphanie Ognier, associate professors in 2PM, will bring her expertise in chemical engineering and modelling of diphasic processes. Both supervisors are based on the same site, guaranteeing daily availability. The PhD student will benefit from weekly individual meetings with the supervisors, monthly team seminars, and an annual individual monitoring committee (comité de suivi individuel) in accordance with the doctoral school requirements.
Intersectoriality
The project has a strong intersectoral dimension through two industrial partners of the PSL ecosystem. ENERGO develops plasma-based conversion of CO₂ and biogas into methanol ; its CO₂ derived methanol will be used in the project as a C1 building block, anchoring the work in a real industrial value chain. Plaskimia, a spin-off of the 2PM team, is industrialising plasma flow-chemistry technology and offers a natural route towards scale-up and technology transfer of the project results. The targeted applications – KA-oil intermediates for the polymer industry, esters for the flavour and fragrance sector, and fine-chemistry synthons for pharmaceuticals – address explicit industrial needs. A secondment of the PhD student with one of the industrial partners is foreseen, and patentable results will be protected through PSL technology-transfer structures, giving the project a significant innovation potential.
International
Plasma-assisted CO₂ conversion and plasma–liquid chemistry are highly active research fields worldwide, and the 2PM team is well integrated in the international plasma-processing community. The compulsory international secondment (at least one month) will take place in the group of Prof. Daniel Bonn at the Institute of Physics of the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), a world-leading laboratory in soft matter and fluid dynamics. The hydrodynamics of the gas–liquid segmented flow is a key parameter of the plasma reactor : film thickness, slug stability and interfacial area directly govern discharge initiation and mass transfer of the reactive oxygen species. During the stay, the PhD student will study the hydrodynamics of gas–liquid flows using ultra-high-speed imaging available in Amsterdam, and will benefit from the group’s expertise to design new gas–liquid reactor geometries, which will directly feed the optimisation of the segmented-flow plasma reactor developed in Paris. The student will also present the work at international conferences (ISPC, Flow Chemistry Europe) and contribute to joint publications, consolidating a long-term collaboration between the two groups.
Interdisciplinarity
The project is intrinsically interdisciplinary, combining : (i) plasma physics – generation and diagnostics of non-equilibrium discharges (electrical characterisation, optical emission spectroscopy) to identify and quantify the reactive oxygen species ; (ii) fluid physics – hydrodynamics of gas–liquid segmented flows (film thickness, slug stability, interfacial dynamics) studied by ultra-high-speed imaging in collaboration with the group of Prof. Daniel Bonn (Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam), a world expert in soft matter and fluid dynamics ; (iii) chemical engineering – design and modelling of segmented-flow microreactors, including mass-transfer and residence-time analysis ; (iv) organic chemistry – mechanistic study of oxygen-atom transfer (epoxidation, C–H hydroxylation, esterification) and product analysis (GC, GC-MS, NMR) ; and (v) green and sustainable chemistry – energy-efficiency assessment and integration of CO₂-derived methanol into circular carbon value chains. The PhD student will thus be trained at the crossroads of physics, chemistry and process engineering.
Expected profile of the candidate
The candidate should hold a Master’s degree or an engineering diploma in chemistry, chemical engineering or physical chemistry. A solid background in organic chemistry and analytical techniques (GC, GC-MS, NMR) is required, together with a strong interest in process development ; prior experience in flow chemistry, microfluidics, plasma processes or electrochemistry would be a significant asset. The project is highly experimental : the candidate must enjoy hands-on laboratory work, reactor assembly and instrumentation, and demonstrate autonomy, scientific rigour and curiosity for interdisciplinary research at the physics/chemistry/engineering interface. A good command of written and spoken English is required (international secondment, conferences, publications) ; knowledge of French is appreciated but not mandatory. Team spirit and the ability to interact with the industrial partners of the project (ENERGO, Plaskimia) will complete the profile.
Important dates
Call for applications : from September 1st to October 31st 2026
Eligibility check results : November
3i Committee evaluation results : December
Interviews from the shortlisted candidates with the Selection Committee : January 2027
Start of the PhD : March 1st 2027