The Laboratory of Catalysis and Spectrochemistry (LCS) is a research unit whose supervisors are ENSICAEN, the University of Caen – Normandy and the CNRS. It was founded in 1978 by the merging of the Laboratory of Catalysis (initiated by François Gault) with the Spectrochemistry Laboratory. From the beginning, Jean-Claude Lavalley defined the LCS as the French center for infrared spectroscopy in catalysis. The use of infrared spectroscopy for the analysis of catalytic materials has thus been developed over the years. In 1990, at the LCS, J. Saussey in the LCS began using IR in situ spectroscopy to study the surface of the catalyst inside the working reactor, an approach that later became known as name of spectroscopy operando .
NMR and Raman spectroscopy were added in 2000 to spectroscopic techniques in LCS, and the operando method was soon applied to these spectroscopies.
Among the catalytic materials studied in the laboratory, zeolites have always been an important topic for LCS, but for a long time samples were sourced from other laboratories. In 2009, a major change was made to the scientific scope of the LCS when it was joined by a group specialized in the synthesis of zeolites. This change in the size and scope of LCS research has significantly changed our place and our role in the scientific community. LCS was quickly recognized both as one of the main centers of spectroscopy in catalysis and science of zeolites in France and in Europe.
These areas of expertise have enable us to become an important partner of the LABEX EMC3, a structure that organizes joint funding between the main scientific laboratories in Normandy, as well as a member of the I-EPE Research Federation. Since mid-2016, we are also part of the Carnot ESP Institute (Energy and Propulsion Systems) which allow us to expand our collaborations with companies.