Email : nathalie [dot] audebrand [at] univ-rennes [dot] fr
Phone : +33 (0)2 23 23 57 14
Office number : Beaulieu - INSA Rennes, bât 11
Education and professional experience
2004 Habilitation thesis in Chemistry and Physics Sciences: Université de Rennes 1, France. “On the use of powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction for studying the reactivity of nanocrystalline oxide precursors. Application to new open-framework materials”.
2000-2014 Assistant Professor at Université de Rennes 1.
1999-2000 Temporary Assistant Professor (Attaché Temporaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche) at Université de Rennes 1.
1998-1999 Post-doctoral position at the Max-Planck-Institute for Metal Research of Stuttgart, Department of Prof. Dr. Ir. Eric J. Mittemeijer.
1998 Ph. D. degree in Chemical Sciences: Université de Rennes 1, France. “Analysis by X-ray diffraction of the thermal behavior of nanocrystalline oxide-precursors: complex decomposition mechanisms of mixed cerium nitrates and microstructural properties of cerium and zinc oxides”. Supervisor: Dr Daniel Louër.
1997 and 1998: Recipient of ICDD (U.S.A.) Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship Awards.
Research themes
Fields of interest: crystallography, X-ray powder diffraction and reactivity of solids
- Elaboration of porous hybrid materials (PCPs, MOFs) based on metal polyhedra and metal-clusters using commercial or original ligands (luminescent, chiral ones) for environmental applications (molecules storage/selection, catalysis, sensors).
- Microstructural analysis of the materials: preparation of nanocrystalline materials (powders); understanding of the formation and nature of the defects within nanocrystalline solids (reticular distorsions, crystallite size, stacking faults); microstructural analysis of oxides and sulfides used as catalysts, semiconductors, electrode materials ....
Scientific responsabilities
- Member of the Scientific Committee of EPDIC (European Powder Diffraction Conference),
- Co-chair of the Scientific Committee of the Conference Rayons X et Matière.
Technical skills
- synthesis of coordination polymers and MOFs through solvothermal synthesis routes and mechanochemistry.
- Structural analysis of the materials from single-crystals and powders: ab initio structure determination using methods operating in reciprocal space and in real space from single-crystal and powder XRD data; refinements of the structural models (Rietveld method).
- Microstructural analysis of the materials: preparation of nanocrystalline materials (powders); understanding of the formation and nature of the defects within nanocrystalline solids (reticular distorsions, crystallite size, stacking faults); microstructural analysis by line-profile analysis of X-ray powder diffraction patterns (integral-breadth method, Fourier analysis with writting of a software).
- Multi-scale analysis of materials: combination of diffraction (XRD) and spectroscopy (FPG NMR) techniques for the study of the diffusion of guest molecules in porous host structures
Teaching activities
- Teachings at Université de Rennes 1: mainly courses on crystallography, X-ray powder diffraction, inorganic and general chemistry, materials science, porous materials, students projects with industrial partners. Levels: Graduate School of Engineering (Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Rennes: http://esir.univ-rennes1.fr), licence and master levels; courses in Master in materials science.
- Invited Professor in Santiago (Chili) in 2013 & 2015: courses on X-ray powder diffraction.
- Member of the Board of Directors (Conseil de Direction) and member of the study council (Conseil d'Ecole) at Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Rennes.
- Responsible of the Materials Science diploma (Spécialité Matériaux), a three-year course, at Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Rennes.
Publications, book chapter, editing
- 98 publications in international journals or congress proceedings,
- More than 50 oral communications (9 invited conferences),
- 2 patents,
- One book chapter: “Caractérisation microstructurale de poudres nanocristallines par diffraction des rayons X: Approches traditionnelles et modélisations”, D. Louër and N. Audebrand in “Rayons X et Matière-RX2006”, ed. Guinebretière & Goudeau, Hermes, Chapter VIII, pp. 195-225,
- Editing: guest co-editor of a Special Issue of “Powder Diffraction”, dedicated to Prof. D. Louër on the occasion of his retirement, Vol. 20 No. 4 (2005) and two Special Issues of “Current Inorganic Chemistry - Clusters, Polyoxometalates and Metal-Organic Frameworks: From Synthesis to Applications”, Vol. 7 No. 1&2, 2017.
