Carbon Capture and CO₂ Valorisation
Development and investigation of materials for CO₂ capture and conversion into useful chemical products.
Materials Chemistry · Catalysis · CCUS
Engineering Porous Materials for Carbon Capture and Sustainable Catalysis
Kumari Riddhi TRIPATHI
Materials Chemist | CO₂ Capture and Catalysis | Porous Materials
I am a materials chemist specialising in the design and functionalisation of multifunctional porous materials that can both capture CO₂ and catalytically convert it into useful C1 molecules. Today, I am currently exploring opportunities to bring my expertise in CO₂ capture and conversion, strong problem-solving skills, and technical knowledge to an R&D-focused environment, contributing to the development of innovative technologies with tangible real-world decarbonisation potential.
01 ·PROFILE
From molecular sites to porous frameworks
My work sits at the junction of molecular catalysis and porous-material engineering. By anchoring well-defined molecular catalysts inside metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and porous organic polymers (POPs), the chemical environment of each active site can be tuned through the structure of the host — and that structure, in turn, governs how CO₂ is adsorbed, activated, and converted.
Understanding this chain — catalyst design → framework structure → catalytic performance — is what drives my research. I combine synthesis, thermal and photochemical catalysis, and spectroscopic characterisation to correlate structure with activity.
My expertise spans materials chemistry, organic and organometallic chemistry, catalysis, and spectroscopy, developed through collaborative research in France and India.
From molecules to real-world technology
MOFs and porous polymers sit at the centre of many decarbonisation technologies — from sorbents that capture CO₂, to catalysts that convert captured CO₂ into fuels and chemicals. I can carry a material from molecular design to tested performance: synthesise it, run it under realistic conditions, test its stability over repeated cycles, and use spectroscopy to explain the results.
Having coordinated projects across several laboratories and supervised junior researchers, I am used to working to objectives, communicating clearly and moving a project from an idea at the bench towards an application.
02 · INTERESTS AND EXPERTISE
Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)
Design, synthesis, functionalisation, and characterisation of crystalline porous materials with tunable chemical environments.
Porous Organic Polymers
Synthesis and modification of functional polymer networks for catalyst immobilisation and heterogeneous catalytic applications.
Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Catalysis
Development and evaluation of catalytic systems under thermal and photochemical conditions, including organometallic chemistry.
Photocatalysis and Solar Fuels
Investigation of visible-light-driven catalytic transformations, particularly CO₂ conversion to formic acid.
Solid-State NMR and Characterisation
Investigation of local structure, molecular interactions, and CO₂ binding behaviour using advanced spectroscopic and analytical methods.
Structure–Activity Relationships
Correlation of material structure, active-site environment, and catalytic performance.
Sustainable Chemical Transformations
Development of catalytic strategies for CO₂ reduction, hydrogenation, and fine-chemical synthesis.
03 · Projects
04 · Professional experience
Nov 2025 – May 2026
Postdoctoral Researcher
ICGM, CNRS — Montpellier, France
- — Worked within the ANR-funded COMeuFs project
- — Investigated CO₂ capture in MOFs using solid-state 17O NMR
- — Developed isotopic-labelling methods for organic compounds and MOFs
- — Interpreted spectroscopic data to understand local structure and CO₂ binding
- — Supervised junior researchers
- — Participated in interdisciplinary scientific collaborations
Jan 2022 – Mar 2025
PhD Researcher in Material Chemistry
IRCELYON, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 — Villeurbanne, France
- — Managed research activities within the ANR-funded FLIPs project
- — Designed and synthesised MOFs and porous organic polymers
- — Developed porous photocatalytic systems for CO₂ valorisation
- — Conducted thermal and photochemical catalytic experiments
- — Characterised materials and interpreted analytical datasets
- — Coordinated project meetings and collaborations
- — Supervised interns and students
- — Prepared scientific manuscripts, reports, and presentations
Mar – Sep 2021
Research Intern
Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination (LCC), CNRS — Toulouse, France
- — Synthesised and characterised organometallic complexes
- — Studied catalytic dehydrogenative coupling reactions
- — Studied catalytic hydrogenation of carboxylic esters
- — Developed quantitative GC and NMR analytical procedures
Nov 2020 – Jan 2021
Research Intern
University of Pune — Pune, India
- — Synthesised and characterised CdTe quantum dots
- — Investigated quantum confinement using cyclic voltammetry
Apr – Aug 2020
Content Developer
Embibe — Bengaluru, India
- — Contributed to online educational content strategy and content development
05 · Education
2022 – 2025
PhD in Material Chemistry
IRCELYON, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France
Thesis: “Heterogenizing Molecular Active Sites within Metal-Organic Frameworks and Reticulated Porous Organic Polymers for CO₂ Reduction and Fine Chemicals Synthesis.”
My thesis on theses.fr ↗2019 – 2021
M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry
National Institute of Technology, Warangal (NITW), India
Final grade · CGPA 8.9/10
Coursework
- Physical Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Computational Chemistry
- Green Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
2016 – 2019
B.Sc. (Honours) Chemistry — First-Class Honours
Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India
Final grade · CGPA 8.6/10
Coursework
- Physical Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Computer Science (C++ language)
- Botany
- Zoology
06 · Peer-reviewed publications
4 of 4 publications
- 2024·Review·CO₂ conversion / Catalysis
Experimental and computational aspects of molecular frustrated Lewis pairs for CO₂ hydrogenation: en route for heterogeneous systems?
R. Kumari Riddhi, F. Penas-Hidalgo, H. Chen, E. A. Quadrelli, J. Canivet, C. Mellot-Draznieks, A. Solé-Daura
Chemical Society Reviews, 2024, 53, 9874
- 2024·Research article·CO₂ conversion / Photocatalysis / Porous materials
Molecular Rhodium Complex within N-Rich Porous Polymer Macroligand as Heterogeneous Catalyst for the Visible-Light Driven CO₂ Photoreduction
R. Newar, A. C. Ghosh, R. Kumari Riddhi, R. Rajapaksha, P. Samanta, F. M. Wisser, J. Canivet
Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research, 2024, 5, 2300209
- 2023·Research article·Catalysis / Porous materials
N-Heterocyclic carbene-based porous polymer macroligand for the Ni-catalyzed C–H arylation of benzothiophenes
P. Samanta, R. Beucher, R. Kumari Riddhi, A. Ranscht, F. M. Wisser, E. A. Quadrelli, J. Canivet
Catalysis Science & Technology, 2023, 13, 5825–5830
- 2023·Research article·Catalysis / Organometallic chemistry
Hydrogenation of Carboxylic Esters Catalyzed by Phosphine-Free Bis-N-heterocyclic Carbene Manganese Complexes
K. Azouzi, L. Pedussaut, R. Pointis, A. Bonfiglio, R. Kumari Riddhi, C. Duhayon, S. Bastin, J.-B. Sortais
Organometallics, 2023, 42(14), 1832–1838
07 · Conferences and scientific presentations
“Molecular understanding of heterogeneous organometallic photocatalyst.”
18th International Congress on Catalysis (ICC 2024)
View Publication Record (HAL) ↗“Visible light mediated CO₂ to formic acid conversion using heterogeneous photocatalyst.”
Joint Scientific Days of the GDR Solar Fuels and Photo Electro Stimulation
Grenoble, France — June 24–26, 2024
View Publication Record (HAL) ↗“Heterogenized molecular photocatalysis for CO₂ to formic acid conversion using visible light.”
2024 French MOFs, COFs and Porous Polymers Conference
View Publication Record (HAL) ↗“MOF-based molecular catalysts for the light-driven conversion of carbon dioxide.”
5th European Conference on Metal-Organic Frameworks and Porous Polymers (EUROMOF 2023)
View Publication Record (HAL) ↗08 · Technical skills and scientific tools
Materials synthesis
- MOF synthesis
- Porous organic polymer synthesis
- Radical polymerisation
- Condensation reactions
- Pre-/post-synthetic modification
- Organometallic and inorganic synthesis
- 17O isotopic labelling
Catalysis
- Heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis
- Thermal and photochemical testing
- Recyclability evaluation
- Quantitative reaction analysis
- Structure–activity relationships
Characterisation and analysis
- Solid-state and liquid-state NMR
- PXRD
- Porosity, surface area and adsorption analysis
- Infrared spectroscopy
- UV-Vis Spectroscopy
- TGA
- Chromatographic techniques (HPLC, GC, GC-MS)
- ICP-OES
- EDX
- Cyclic voltammetry
- Schlenk and glovebox techniques
Scientific software
- TopSpin
- Mnova
- HighScore
- Mercury
- VESTA
- MicroActive
- ChemDraw
- Origin
- ELN
- Power BI
- Microsoft 365
Research management & transferable skills
- ›Project management
- ›Coordination of multi-partner collaborations
- ›Supervision of interns and students
- ›Scientific writing and reporting
- ›Oral presentations
- ›Data analysis and interpretation
- ›Method development and protocol standardisation
- ›Problem-solving and independent research
- ›Scientific rigor and adaptability
- ›Teamwork and international collaboration
Languages
- HindiFluent
- EnglishFluent
- FrenchB2.1
09 · Beyond the lab
Volunteering, leadership and interests
Community, leadership & language training
Aug 2026
French Language Course — B2 Level
École Interculturelle de Français pour Étrangers (EIFE2F), Lyon, France
Language training
Completed a one-month intensive French language course at B2 level, focusing on improving French language proficiency, communication skills and intercultural understanding.
2020 – 2021
General Secretary
Chemistry Association, National Institute of Technology Warangal, India
Student leadership
2019 – 2020
Joint Secretary
Chemistry Association, National Institute of Technology Warangal, India
Student leadership
Aug 2017 – Aug 2018
Volunteer Teacher
Malviya Child Foundation (NGO), Varanasi, India
Volunteering
During my bachelor’s degree, I volunteered with an NGO in India, teaching students from rural villages and helping prepare them for entrance examinations to gain admission to good schools. This experience strengthened my communication, teaching, patience and mentoring skills. It also taught me the importance of educational equality, social responsibility and empowering students through education.
Interests & personal development
Dancing
Dance and Dramatics Club
Being part of the Dance and Dramatics Club and the dance crew “Tempest” has helped me develop teamwork, discipline, creativity and communication skills. It has taught me how to collaborate with others, manage my time, overcome challenges and build confidence while working towards a common goal.
Reading
Immersing myself into novels allows me to explore new perspectives, spark my imagination and take a mental break from everyday life. It nurtures my imagination and provides me with a sense of balance and personal well-being.
Cycling
I enjoy cycling because it allows me to explore new places, appreciate my surroundings, and enjoy a sense of freedom while staying active.
10 · Contact
Let’s collaborate
- riddhi.r22@gmail.com
- ORCID
- 0009-0006-4900-6720
- CURRENT LOCATION
- Villeurbanne, France
- Work permit
- French work permit