Congratulations for their FNRS grants !
FNRS Research Fellow – Aurore Schneiders
Aurore Schneiders was granted a 4 years FNRS Research Fellowship under the supervision of Prof. Gauthier Eppe for her proposal aiming at the structural elucidation and binding energies of per-and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) dimers and aggregates by advanced mass spectrometry methods with an analytical and environmental perspective. Her proposal relies on an interdisciplinary approach combining physical chemistry in Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry, Analytical Chemistry, and Environmental Science. Her work fits within the context of environmental issues related to the ubiquitous presence of PFAS, the so-called “forever chemicals”, and which will provide analytical tools for current societal challenges related to their monitoring, their behavioral trends in the environment and their by-products.
Aurore Schneiders will receive her Master degree in Chemical Sciences at the University of Liège (Belgium) in July 2023. Her Master Thesis, under the supervision of Prof. Gauthier Eppe, aimed at characterizing per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) by Trapped and Traveling waves ion mobilities (TIMS and TWIMS)-Mass Spectrometry (MS): Pitfalls in understanding and interpreting mobilograms of prioritized PFASs and benefits of IMS in addressing the challenges of PFAS analysis. She is currently completing a research internship under the supervision of Prof. Adrian Covaci (UAntwerp, Be) and Prof. Gauthier Eppe (ULiège, Be)
FNRS Research Fellow – Aurélie RENSONNET
Aurélie RENSONNET was granted a 4 years FNRS Research Fellowship under the supervision of Dr Cédric MALHERBE for her proposal aiming at determining the Hammett acidity function in imidazole-based ionic liquids using Raman spectroscopy to circumvent the experimental limitations arising when using UV-Visible spectroscopy and nitroanilines as initially proposed by Hammett in non-ionic molecular solvents. Her proposal relies on the experimental development of Raman techniques, including stimulated Raman spectroscopy, to probe the acidity of ionic media with pH-reporter that better meet the Hammett extra-thermodynamic assumption than the nitroanilines. Her project focuses on the influence of fundamental molecular properties of both the pH-reporters and the ionic liquid ions on the Hammett acidity function. Her works will also bring new insights in the super-acidity of imidazole-based ionic liquids, a molecular property that was demonstrated to play a pivotal role in chemical processes, especially in the field of acidic catalysis, for which ionic liquids have been identified as a possible alternative to volatile organic solvents.
Aurélie RENSONNET will receive her Master degree in Chemical Sciences at the University of Liège (Belgium) in July 2023. Her Master Thesis, under the supervision of Prof. Gauthier EPPE and Dr Cédric MALHERBE, aimed at studying the super acidic properties of imidazolium based ionic liquids by molecular UV-Visible and Raman spectroscopies. She is currently completing a research internship under the supervision of Prof. Ducan GRAHAM at University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
