Mathilde MODERNE
defended her PhD thesis
on 11 December 2025
Engineering functionalized 2D materials for advanced membranes: From chiral functionalization to hybrid nanofluidic diode architectures for water treatment
In front of the jury composed of :
– Brigitte VIGOLO, Chargé de recherche, CNRS-Université de Lorraine – Rapporteur
– Jean-Christophe GABRIEL, Directeur de recherche, CEA-Université Paris-Saclay – Rapporteur
– Aldo Jose Gorgatti ZARBIN, Professor, Federal University of Paraná – Examinateur
– Eric ANGLARET, Professeur, Université de Montpellier – Examinateur
– Sébastien BALME, Maître de conférence, Université de Montpellier – Directeur de Thèse
– Damien VOIRY, Directeur de recherche, CNRS-Université de Montpellier – Co-directeur de Thèse
– Chrystelle SALAMEH, Maître de conférence, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Montpellier – Encadrante
Abstract:
In a global context marked by a persistent crisis in access to safe drinking water, about 26% of the world’s population still lacks access to quality water, while 46% do not benefit from safely managed sanitation systems. Paradoxically, in regions equipped with advanced infrastructure, more than one-third of potable water is consumed by the agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors, further increasing the pressure on this vital resource. Among the main sources of pollution, industrial discharges account for nearly 20% of wastewater, with a growing proportion of emerging micropollutants notably pharmaceutical compounds originating from domestic and industrial activities responsible for approximately 10% of this contamination. These pollutants pose an increasing threat to human health and ecosystems, underscoring the urgent need for high-performance and sustainable water treatment technologies.
In response to these challenges, the treatment of polluted water and the desalination of saline water have emerged as strategic approaches for the coming decades. Separation membranes play a central role in these technologies, particularly for water purification. However, conventional polymer membranes face a fundamental trade-off between permeability and selectivity, which limits their overall performance. The development of innovative materials capable of reconciling these two criteria therefore represents a major research priority and a key scientific challenge. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, organized in laminar structures forming nanochannels, have attracted growing attention owing to their remarkable properties high specific surface area, rich functional density, thickness controllable at the nanometer scale, and molecular confinement effects. These features open new perspectives for membrane separation and nanofluidics.
This PhD work is part of this research dynamic and explores the design of advanced membranes based on 2D materials, as well as transport mechanisms at the nanometric scale. The first part of this study focuses on the functionalization of MoS2 monolayers synthesized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) through the controlled grafting of chiral molecules on both surfaces. This approach enabled the fabrication of chiral Janus-2D nanostructures and the investigation of chirality induction mechanisms in two-dimensional materials, in relation to intrinsic symmetry breaking and surface physicochemical properties, thereby paving the way for the design of chiral membranes for enantiomeric separation.
The second part concerns the development of chiral nanolamellar membranes from chemically exfoliated MoS2 nanosheets, aiming to enhance enantiomeric selectivity and reduce pharmaceutical pollutants in wastewater a key issue in selective depollution.
Finally, a complementary approach involved designing a hybrid membrane device integrating 2D monolayers within an architecture supported by a track-etched, irradiation-structured polyethylene terephthalate (PET) membrane. By exhibiting both ionic rectification and cation selectivity properties, this system opens the way for the development of hybrid desalination devices that are more efficient and less energy-intensive.
Overall, this work provides essential proof-of-concept demonstrations for the development of intelligent and multifunctional membranes designed to address contemporary environmental challenges related to the sustainable management of water resources.
