Expertise

Infranalytics offers academic and industrial players access to cutting-edge analytical tools throughout the national territory.

With internationally recognized scientific expertise and technical support at the highest level, we carry out a wide range of experiments in the fields of health, cosmetics, environment, energy, materials or agro- eating.

Within Infranalytics are gathered advanced spectrometers of the following three analytical techniques:

  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at very high fields (NMR): Infranalytics has nine very high field NMR spectrometers (800 to 1 MHz) located in seven laboratories. NMR is a spectroscopy which, by exploiting the magnetic properties of nuclei, makes it possible to probe the structure and dynamics at the atomic scale of substrates in solution or in the solid state.
  • Electronic Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR): Infranalytics brings together nine advanced EPR spectrometers ranging from imaging to pulsed EPR on high field devices. A cousin of NMR, EPR makes it possible to study the state and local environment of paramagnetic elements and to derive information on the surrounding molecular structure and/or dynamics.
  • Ultra High Field FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR MS): Infranalytics has seven very high field FT-ICR mass spectrometers (from 7 to 12 Tesla). The high magnetic fields of the instruments available allow users to obtain very high resolution for the measurement of molecular masses.

These exceptional instruments bring a significant gain in sensitivity and resolution which make it possible to acquire data inaccessible with standard equipment. They are extremely expensive and require advanced scientific and technical expertise for their exploitation. Their management by the CNRS, in close collaboration with many academic partners supervising the laboratories, provides national consistency and visibility. As such, the research infrastructure is listed on the national research infrastructure roadmap. This roadmap is a steering tool of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation which identifies and labels the most strategic infrastructures for French scientific communities.

Services

Established in the academic fabric, our research infrastructure nevertheless cultivates a great openness towards industrialists. It offers a range of services ranging from simple routine spectrum acquisition to full support for your research project.

When you make contact, our teams discuss with you to understand your expectations and guide you towards the most appropriate analytical technique and site for your project. The scientific manager and the operational manager of the chosen site then take over to support you in carrying out your study.

Our services include:

  • Support in choosing the most suitable experimental device for your needs,
  • Formulation of samples for analysis,
  • Accompaniment by a host engineer,
  • Acquisition of spectra according to the desired experimental conditions,
  • Data processing and analysis / expertise / writing an analysis report,
  • Provision of the instrument, subject to conditions.

Access to the instruments takes place within the framework of service or research contracts. These studies are covered by confidentiality agreements and/or by notions of intellectual property, which may come under framework agreements with the CNRS. The contract is established directly with the selected site or at the level of the entire infrastructure.

Varied collaboration methods

Our research infrastructure is also developing other modes of collaboration with the industrial sector.

Thus, training actions open to industrialists are regularly offered on our instruments, allowing you to train your researchers and engineers in the most advanced facets of NMR spectroscopy, EPR and FT-ICR mass spectrometry. .

Instrumental or methodological developments are also made with manufacturers of scientific instrumentation, which make it possible to maintain our research infrastructures at the best technological level and result in the opening of new markets.

In addition, our laboratories regularly supervise CIFRE doctoral theses centered on the development and application of these analytical techniques.

Solutions

To answer your questions and work with you to find the best solutions to your problems, send an email to:

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Applications

Our various analysis and characterization techniques make it possible to probe matter at the atomic and molecular scale and to derive a great deal of information, such as the chemical composition, structure and dynamics of materials of biological, organic, mineral or synthetic.

These studies find applications in various R&D fields, such as health, the environment, energy, innovative materials and the food industry. You will find below some examples of possible studies in these different fields.

This list is not exhaustive. Do not hesitate to submit your project to us so that we can study its feasibility together.

Health and cosmetics

  • Counterfeit/failure detection
  • Active ingredient formulation
  • Deformulation
  • Drug design (inhibitor-target interactions)
  • Analysis of plant constituents
  • Assistance in setting up regulatory files: REACH...
  • Identification of biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic treatment (metabolomics)
  • Study and monitoring of reaction mechanisms in chemical synthesis
  • Characterization of polymorphism
  • Determination of the 3D structure of proteins and quality control of small biological molecules
  • Elucidation of molecular structures and their assemblies
  • Characterization of biomaterials (biocompatible materials)
  • Measurement of enantiomeric purity
  • Study of the structure and dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids

Food industry

  • Food composition analysis
  • Characterization of the geographical origin of products
  • Characterization of food safety and quality
  • Detection of trace contaminants
  • Characterization of the purity of food-grade water

Energy

  • Understanding the mobility and state of ions within electrolytes and electrodes of batteries and fuel cells
  • Analysis of the chemical composition of petroleum products (petroleomics)
  • Identification of reaction intermediates in materials for hydrogen storage
  • Characterization of biofuels
  • Study of the surface of heterogeneous catalysts and identification of reaction intermediates

Materials

  • Study of the chemical composition, structure, dynamics at the molecular scale of various materials, crystalline, disordered, heterogeneous or amorphous, such as:
    • Biobased materials,
    • materials for solar panels,
    • Polymers (including elastomers),
    • Glasses, vitroceramics,
    • liquid crystals,
    • Catalysts,
    • Porous materials (zeolites, MOFs, silica, alumina).
  • Process monitoring
  • Study of material aging
  • Counterfeit detection

Environmental

  • Water analysis: identification of the nature of organic and inorganic pollutants in effluents
  • Determination of the structure of organic aerosols
  • Determination of soil composition
  • Study of the metabolism of plants, organisms