Research institut

Namur Institute of Structured Matter

The NISM institute brings together the research activities of the chemistry and physics departments at the University of Namur. Research at the NISM institute focuses on various topics in organic chemistry, physical chemistry, (nano)materials chemistry, surface science, optics and photonics, and solid-state physics, from both a theoretical and experimental perspective.

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An ERC Consolidator grant for Professor Guillaume Berionni's B-YOND project!

The ERC CoG, a funding instrument of the European Research Council (ERC), enables outstanding scientists to implement innovative concepts over a period of five years and thus strengthens the European research landscape. The B-YOND project will focus on the reprogramming of chemical elements properties in order to initiate the creation of a new generation of more robust and accessible catalysts.
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Drawing inspiration from nature to innovate

Prof. Olivier Deparis and Dr Sébastien Mouchet (University of Namur, NISM Institute, Department of Physics) have published a book on the theme of physical optics and environmental biology. On the path of Jean-Pol Vigneron’s research, this “avant-garde” book according to Artech House, opens the door to bioinspired applications in the fields of optics, energy and the environment. Explanation.
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TINALTA: Development of an innovative coating

Researchers at the UNamur have just filed a patent for a completely innovative coating, in collaboration with the spin-off Innovative Coating Solutions (ICS). This project was supported by the Win²Wal programme of SPW Research.
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A publication on non-linear optics in the prestigious "Accounts of Chemical Research" (ACS) journal

An international team of researchers, including Professor Benoît Champagne from UNamur, has just published a paper in the prestigious journal "Accounts of Chemical Research" (ACS). They have demonstrated the role of dynamic fluctuations in the structure of molecules on their optical properties. This aspect of dynamics is innovative because previous studies were limited to rigid structures.
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"La Salle des Pros", the new partner of education professionnals

The four UNamur continuing education centers specializing in the education sector have come together within "La Salle des Pros" to strengthen their collaborations, their cross-functional approach and their visibility. However, each center retains its autonomy and its faculty roots in order to preserve its specificities and maintain a close link with research and the initial training of teachers.
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A publication on light observation in Nature Communications

What is a perfect fluid? It is a theoretical model of a fluid that allows us to assume that the fluid is not viscous, that it does not conduct heat, that it is incompressible and does not create vortices. It is therefore an approximation of reality that simplifies theoretical predictions of fluid flows. For the first time, an international team has experimentally demonstrated this same behaviour for light immersed in a medium of low refractive index.
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REF: 4 days of meetings on education and didactics

The Réseau international francophone de recherche en éducation et formation (REF), founded in 1989, brings together every two years in one of the four founding countries (France, Belgium, Quebec, Switzerland) researchers in education sciences and didactics. The meetings are usually held over two days and take the form of parallel symposia on different educational research themes, linked by a common thread. They took place at UNamur last July. A look back at a successful edition.
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An innovative and multifunctional coating developed at the UNamur

This is a technical and scientific feat that has just been patented at the UNamur. Researchers from the Laboratory of Analysis by Nuclear Reactions (LARN), the Department of Physics of UNamur (NISM Institute) and the spin-off Innovative Coating Solutions (ICS) have succeeded in developing a carbon-based coating with innovative properties that can be used in a wide range of fields, including fuel cells, decoration, and mechanical parts for automobiles.
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Fluorescence: A Closer Look at Insects’ Transparent Wings

In a new study published in February 2023 in the Journal of Luminescence, an international team of scientists led by Sébastien Mouchet of UNamur has revealed previously unknown fluorescent properties of the transparent wings of certain insects. This research demonstrates that valuable information can be obtained using state-of-the-art optical characterization techniques. Here’s how it works.
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Michaël Lobet, the physicist of the invisible who twists light

Let's go and discover the qualified researchers of UNamur, winners of the funding granted by the FNRS in 2022. Today, we meet Michaël Lobet, currently a lecturer at UNamur, who will begin his new mandate as a qualified FNRS researcher at the NISM Institute next fall. The subject of his research: twisted optics for the manipulation of slow photons or how to create light traps. Explanations.
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Laurent Houssiau, an FNRS physicist working on dental implants

In the summer of 2022, we set out to discover the UNamur researchers who were awarded funding by the FNRS in 2022. Today, it is Laurent Houssiau, who has been awarded a bilateral collaborative research project funded by the FNRS and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec (FRQ). His project focuses on the design and development of new multifunctional thin overlays that aim to improve the clinical performance of dental implants.
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