Lorraine Christ

Lorraine Christ is a Lecturer at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1, affiliated with the Institut de Recherches sur la Catalyse et l'Environnement de Lyon (IRCELYON), where she has conducted research since 1996. Her academic journey includes chemistry studies at UNAM Mexico (1984-1988), a Bachelor Thesis at Instituto de Quimica UNAM (1989-1990), DEA Macromolecules at UPS Toulouse (1990-1991), and a PhD at UPS Toulouse-LCC on Ru complexes (1991-1994), culminating in a 2009 Habilitation on chiral nitrogen complexes for CO₂ valorization.

• 1984-1988: Chemistry studies, UNAM Mexico
• 1989-1990: Bachelor Thesis, Instituto de Quimica UNAM
• 1990-1991: DEA Macromolecules, UPS Toulouse + LCC internship
• 1991-1994: PhD in Ru Complexes, UPS Toulouse-LCC
• 2009: Habilitation to Direct Research, UCBL - IRCELYON

Her research centers on homogeneous catalysis for sustainable chemistry, specializing in chiral nitrogen complexes (Ru, Ni, Co, Cu, Cr, Zn, Mn, Fe) for asymmetric hydrogenation of bio-sourced substrates and catalytic CO₂ conversion. Key projects include cyclic carbonate synthesis via CO₂/epoxide cycloaddition, supercritical CO₂ as a green solvent for fatty alcohol extraction, and biomass valorization from sugar cane byproducts. Her work integrates experimental synthesis with DFT modeling to optimize catalyst design and reaction mechanisms.

Analysis of her 2016-2024 publications reveals a dominant focus on zinc-based catalytic systems for CO₂ cycloaddition, with increasing emphasis on metal-free alternatives and computational validation. Articles consistently address sustainable chemistry challenges through solvent-free reactions, biomass utilization, and waste minimization, reflecting alignment with energy transition goals.

She actively contributes to the scientific community as a member of IRCELYON's laboratory council, organizer of GECOM-CONCOORD 2015 and JIREC 2016, and former Secretary of the French Chemistry Society's Coordination Chemistry Division (2012-2015). Teaching responsibilities include Master's-level CO₂ Chemistry/Biocatalysis and undergraduate courses in General Chemistry, Solution Equilibria, and veterinary preparation chemistry.