Design of Biodegradable Microcapsules

Le Mans Université, the CNRS, and Capsulæ, with support from the ANR, have joined forces to design biodegradable microcapsules.
Read the press release: https://www.innov-ia.com/collaborative-research-innovation/

Capsulæ and the Institute of Molecules and Materials of Le Mans (IMMM – CNRS/Le Mans Université) have created a joint laboratory: the LabCom ECCOCAPS (short for “Eco-design of innovative capsules”).

The goal of this joint laboratory is to reduce the environmental impact of microencapsulation by focusing on the following levers:

  • Use of bio-based raw materials
  • Implementation of environmentally friendly manufacturing processes
  • Consideration of the full life cycle of microcapsules (end-of-life biodegradability)

The main challenge is to develop copolymers that incorporate both reactive and degradable units, with a high proportion of ester-type units statistically distributed along the polymer chain.

Next, efforts will focus on reducing the environmental footprint during the synthesis of the reactive copolymer, notably by lowering the energy cost of the process.

A CIFRE PhD thesis began in November 2024, under the supervision of V. Montembault, S. Pascual, and L.F.
these cifre
A CIFRE PhD thesis began in November 2024, under the supervision of V. Montembault, S. Pascual, and L.F.
microencapsulation

They talk about ECCOCAPS: