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Fields of Expertise: Biomass ; Lignins ; Phenolics ; Green Chemistry ; Biotechnology ; Downstream process ; Functional additives ; Biobased polymers/materials.

Author details: Florent Allais got a PhD from the University of Florida (USA) in 2004, then did two postdocs in France (ESPCI, Paris –ICSN-CNRS, Gif-sur-Yvette), before joining the INRAe as a Junior Scientist in Versailles, France (2007). In 2012, he became a Full Professor at AgroParisTech and the director of URD ABI at Pomacle, France. Florent Allais has also been Adjunct Professor at Monash University and Courtesy Associate Professor at the University of Florida (2019-present). Since January 2020, he is Associate Member-elect at the Interdivisional Committee on Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development (ICGCSD) at IUPAC. His research is dedicated to the development and optimization of sustainable processes to convert biomass into biobased synthons and high-value chemicals such as chiral fine chemicals, new functional bio-based additives (e.g., anti-UVs, antimicrobials, antioxidants, flavours or surfactants), monomers, polymers/materials for the pharmaceutical/food/feed/cosmetic/plastic industrial sectors.  He has published more than 150 articles (h-index of 34) and 7 book chapters, filed 20 patents, and served as reviewer of various journals and as Associate Editor of Frontiers in Chemistry, Frontiers in Chemical Engineering, Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews, Industrial Biotechnology, Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment as well as Sustainable Chemistry. He has been invited in many international congresses (Plenary and Keynotes lectures) and has also been the co-creator of the 1^st Biomass to Bio-based Chemicals and Materials Gordon Research Conference (Vice-Chair in 2019, Chair in 2023).

Abstract: For more than 10 years, URD ABI has been working on the upgrading of biomass through the combination of green chemistry, biotechnologies and downstream process. p-Hydroxycinnamic acids (HCA; e.g., coumaric, ferulic, sinapic and caffeic acids) are naturally occurring chemicals that our team has used as building blocks for the design of sustainable functional additives, polymers and materials. This talk will present the work that our team (and (inter)national partners) have conducted to (1) produce these HCA from biomass, and (2) functionalized them through green chemistry and biotechnology to access bisphenol A substitutes, antioxidants, additives for PLA, UV-filters, smart materials…