NanoQAM members at the forefront of functional materials for a sustainable future

On May 7, 2025, during the 92nd Acfas Congress, the symposium titled “Functional Materials for Sustainable Development” highlighted scientific advances in the field of innovative materials. The event was marked by the active participation of NanoQAM members, emphasizing their central role in the search for sustainable solutions.

Advanced functional materials, such as polymers, nanomaterials, and magnetic or electronic materials, are at the heart of emerging technologies. They play a crucial role in various fields, ranging from environmental decontamination and renewable energy production to natural resource valorization and sustainable agriculture.

Professor François Perreault, a member of NanoQAM and the Department of Chemistry at UQAM, illustrated the rapid evolution of these technologies by discussing seawater desalination. He pointed out that in 1990, this technology was considered unviable, whereas today, thanks to advances in membrane processes, it has become an efficient and economically accessible solution.

The symposium was also an opportunity to showcase innovative research conducted by NanoQAM members, particularly in the development of nanomaterial-based filtration membranes for water treatment, the design of catalytic materials for solar energy conversion, and the creation of biodegradable polymers for agricultural applications.

This work is part of an interdisciplinary approach, combining chemistry, physics, engineering, and environmental science, and aims to address the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Collaboration between NanoQAM researchers and their industrial and institutional partners is essential to accelerate the transfer of these innovations to real-world applications.

By highlighting the expertise of its members, NanoQAM reaffirms its commitment to being a key player in the transition toward a more sustainable society by developing materials that are both high-performing and environmentally friendly.

Several NanoQAM members also took part in the symposium, including Professors David Dewez, Abdelkrim Azzouz, Ali Nazemi, Steen Brian Schougaard, Mohamed Siaj, and Joshua Byers. To learn more about NanoQAM’s projects and researchers, visit our website or contact us directly.