Aurélien Blanc & Pierre de Frémont
Biography - Aurélien Blanc
Aurélien Blanc is a research scientist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), working at the Strasbourg Institute of Chemistry (IC), a joint CNRS-University of Strasbourg research unit. Since 2024, he co-leads the COSyS team - which focuses on organometallic catalysis, organic synthesis and health - alongside Professor Stefan Chassaing.
His research focuses on the development of synthetic methods for the preparation of valuable molecules, using transition metal catalysis, particularly with gold. He is also interested in the design of new hybrid catalysts based on polyoxometalates combined with coinage metals (Cu, Ag, Au).
Dr. Aurélien Blanc earned his PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Geneva (Switzerland) in 2004, under the supervision of Professor Christian Bochet, where he worked on wavelength-controlled photochemical reactions (chromatic orthogonality). He then carried out a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley (USA), in the group of Professor F. Dean Toste, focusing on the development of vanadium-catalyzed asymmetric reactions applied to the synthesis of natural products. After a year as a teaching and research associate at the University of Grenoble, he joined the CNRS in 2006 as a research scientist. He obtained his habilitation to supervise research (HDR) in 2012 from the University of Strasbourg.
Fellowship 2025
Dates - 01/09/2025-28/02/2027
Biography - Pierre de Frémont
Pierre de Frémont is a research scientist at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), working at the Institute of Molecular Chemistry of the University of Burgundy (ICMUB), a joint CNRS-University of Burgundy Europe (UBE) research unit. He is part of the Polymer Catalysis Coordination and Modeling team (CaPCoM) led by Professor Nadine Pirio. He is also currently working at the Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2L), a joint Syensqo-CNRS research unit, in China.
His research focuses on the preparation and reactivity of well-defined complexes of transition metals with a special emphasis on the chemistry of gold and carbenes.
Dr. Pierre de Frémont earned his PhD degree in organometallic chemistry, from the University of New Orleans (USA) in 2007, under the supervision of Professor Steven P. Nolan, where he developed the chemistry of NHC complexes of group 9-10-11 metals. He was subsequently a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and the IBM Almaden Center (San Jose, USA), in the group of Dr. James Hedrick, focusing on the synthesis of cyclic carbonates as potential monomers. After, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Rennes, in collaboration with the company TotalEnergies, in the group of Professor Jean-François Carpentier, focusing on the synthesis of yttrium and neodymium post-metallocene catalysts. He joined the CNRS in 2009 as a research scientist. He obtained his habilitation to supervise research (HDR) from the University of Strasbourg in 2014.
During his USIAS Fellowship, he will be hosted by the Strasbourg Institute of Chemistry (IC).
Project summary
TOWARD LOW OXIDATION STATE TUNGSTEN(0) COMPLEXES FOR HOMOGENEOUS CATALYSIS
Catalysis lies at the heart of modern chemistry and plays a pivotal role in enabling sustainable and economically responsible industrial development. One of today’s most pressing challenges is to replace expensive and rare precious metals with more abundant, cost-effective alternatives without compromising catalytic performances. In this context, the concept of “cheap metals for noble tasks” gains particular relevance. This project aims at exploring the untapped potential of tungsten(0) (W(0)) complexes—based on an earth-abundant, low-toxicity metal—as catalysts for developing novel and efficient chemical transformations under the guiding principles of green chemistry.
While tungsten(VI) complexes have long been used in polymerization and metathesis reactions, the chemistry of low-valent W(0) complexes remains largely underdeveloped despite their remarkable air- and moisture-stability. Recent studies hint at the ability of W(0) species to participate in unique redox processes and access reactive intermediates, such as vinylidenes, offering new synthetic pathways. This project therefore seeks to fill a critical knowledge gap by synthesizing novel W(0) complexes supported by bi- and tridentate ligands, including N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), and evaluating their reactivity and catalytic potential.
The project focuses on the rational design and synthesis of new W(0) complexes using modular ligand platforms, notably NHCs, and explores their catalytic applications, particularly in tandem transformations involving vinylidene intermediates, C–H insertion, and W(0/II) redox catalysis. The methodologies developed are expected to provide access to high-value molecular scaffolds, including pharmacologically relevant azepane- and indole- derivatives.
This research will hold significant implications for both fundamental and applied tungsten chemistry. It will not only rejuvenate interest in tungsten catalysis but also contribute to the broader goals of sustainable synthesis by reducing reliance on noble metals. Moreover, by advancing our understanding of redox flexibility and ligand design in group VI metals, this work could open up new directions in organometallic catalysis and inspire further innovation in related fields such as materials science and medicinal chemistry.
