Kratos recently completed the installation of an AXIS Ultra^DLD at the Catalysis and Solid-State Chemistry Unit at the University of Lille.  This system is one of only four worldwide where Kratos have worked with IonTof GmbH to combine the AXIS Ultra^DLD with an IonTof V SIMS instrument using a radial distribution chamaber (RDC).  The research opportunities available by combining the complementary state-of-the-art ToF SIMS and XPS instruments are very exciting and are key to the work conducted at the UCCS. 

The UCCS is composed of 127 permanent members and ca. 70 contractual staff (PhD, Post-doc). The research activities of the unit are oriented towards Energy and Sustainable Development, with strong expertise in solid-state chemistry and homogeneous/heterogeneous catalysis. Our research projects are involved in the fields of biomass valorisation, green chemistry, fine chemistry, molecular materials, vegetal chemistry, pollution treatment, new and clean fuels, nuclear fuels and wastes, fuel cells and high-temperature electrolysers.



The UCCS is organized into 3 research departments that include 13 project-teams. Our goal is to develop an integrated approach of the scientific objectives, via:
i) the synthesis of molecular and iono-covalent compounds with tailored properties, including supramolecular catalysts, organometallic catalysts, nanostructured catalysts, organic intermediates, ionic conducting ceramics, self-healing glasses, magnetic ceramics, ferroelectric thin-films;
ii) the development of advanced characterization methods such as Solid-State NMR, XRD, AFM, combined XPS/ToF SIMS/LEIS. Most of these methods are used in operando or in situ mode, and are complemented by ab-initio calculations;
iii) the implementation and characterization of catalytic processes with applications in the fields of pollution treatment, production of new fuels and biomass valorisation. These processes are developed from lab to semi-pilot scales.

The UCCS produces ca. 145 publications in peer-reviewed international journals each year, and our skills are recognized through numerous collaborations with industrial and academic partners in France and abroad.

The UCCS is under the authority of institutions with whom strong and productive partnerships are developed: Univ. Lille Nord de France, CNRS (UMR8181), Université Lille 1 – Sciences et Technologies (USTL, ‘Lille 1’), Université d'Artois (UArtois), Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Lille (ENSCL), Ecole Centrale de Lille (ECLille).

The UCCS belongs to the Chevreul Federation, which gathers the scientific activities on Chemistry and Materials for Energy and Sustainable Development of 5 laboratories of the USTL. The Chevreul Federation hosts 6 advanced technical platforms (NMR, MS, EPR, Surfaces, Microscopies, Vibrational spectroscopies).

The UCCS research activities are funded by public institutions, including those cited above and the European Community (FEDER, PCRD6, PCRD7), the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), the Région Nord-Pas de Calais, the ADEME, as well as by research contracts with companies (Total, IFP, Air-liquide, Arkema, Adisseo, Axens, Rhodia, Oril, Cellial, Lvm sa, Roquette, Sanofi-Aventis, Snecma, Brüker, PSA, Areva, CEA, EDF,…).