picture by Kevin Faingnaert
Benjamin is an associate professor at Aix-Marseille University, working at the MADIREL laboratory. Research in our group focusses on the use of microporous materials (zeolites / Metal Organic Frameworks) to improve the separation of chemical mixtures and the removal of contaminants from gas and liquid mixtures.
On the one hand, we try to understand how molecules behave when trapped in materials containing small pores. On the other hand, we investigate how the extraordinary properties of these materials can be leveraged to develop new separation processes. To do this we use a combination of mathematical modelling and dedicated experimental techniques.
We are specifically interested in research topics within the context of the energy transition. This includes the recovery and purification of bio-based chemicals (bio-ethanol, bio-butanol, ...) or the capture and storage of CO2.
Have a look at our research team here!
Does this all sound a bit technical? In a series of blog posts, you can find an easy-going explanation of our research activities. I also regularly participate in outreach activities.
Want to know more? Do not hesitate to contact us.
31/01/2026
Julia's first paper got submitted for peer-review, but the preprint is already available: check out her work: https://ssrn.com/abstract=6158806
30/01/2026
Benjamin & Julia will give a talk at the COPS XII conference: check out the program here: https://cops-xii.org/
19/01/2026
The group attended the annual AFA meeting in Bayonne.
To recover a freshly made pharmaceutical from its liquid reaction mixture, the mixture is often boiled, requiring a lot of energy. But what if we could recover such a drug using a simple filter? And how do we select a good filter for the wide range of solvents and drugs used and produced? In our recent article, we show that...
Purifying butanol thus requires a huge amount of energy. Scientists, however, developed new materials that work like a sponge. They are capable to adsorb butanol selectively from that soup of waste and bacteria. Results are promising, but the process to remove butanol out of these sponges can still be improved.
In too high concentrations, biobutanol is toxic for our clostridial bacteria. At the end of the process, you have a mixture of bacteria, waste, and butanol. But how do you recover this butanol? To do this, you can boil the mixture very hard, which requires a lot of energy. Developing alternatives is part of my research.
Your keyboard, the steering wheel of your car, the tires of your bicycle ... Nowadays, we produce all our chemical resources for plastics from fossil oil and natural gas. These sources are non-renewable and their exploitation has a large environmental impact. But an alternative exists. Scientists discovered bacteria capable of converting green...