Christophe Copéret becomes a member of the Académie des Sciences
Christophe Copéret, Professor of Surface and Interfacial Chemistry at?D-CHAB, has been elected to the French Academy of Sciences. The Academy plays a?key role in promoting scientific dialogue.?
The French Academy of Sciences has three main tasks: scientific expertise, the transfer and dissemination of knowledge, and exerting influence in France and internationally. This year's elections were intended to consolidate the Académie's core competencies in various research areas, namely human biology and medical sciences, integrative biology, molecular, cellular, and genomic biology, chemistry, mathematics, physics, space sciences, mechanical engineering, and computer science.
In the field of chemistry, four new members were elected in 2026, including Christophe Copéret, professor at the Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry and currently head of the D-CHAB. Copéret and his group are researching the chemistry of surfaces and interfaces in connection with functional materials and heterogeneous catalysis. His laboratory develops molecular and spectroscopic approaches, in particular nuclear magnetic resonance, and combines experimental chemistry and modelling to discover and understand catalysts.
“It is a true honour and privilege to be part of an institution created by Colbert in 1666”, Christophe Copéret emphasizes, “it is a recognition of 2-3 decades of works with many students and post-doctoral fellows who have pushed the boundary of surface chemistry to decipher the complexity of the surface and to exploit their reactivity to develop more sustainable processes.” As a member of the academy, he seeks to promote the scientific approach and provide information to the general public on the frontier, benefits, challenges, and opportunities in chemical sciences.
The Academy currently has 304 members. New members are elected for life following a rigorous selection process. Candidates can only be nominated by existing members. The results of the recent elections will soon be confirmed by an official decree issued by the President of the Republic. A formal induction ceremony for the new members will be held under the dome of the Institute de France in early June.
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