Alain Fuchs | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Fuchs in 2018 | |
| Born | (1953-04-10)10 April 1953 |
| Died | 8 December 2024(2024-12-08) (aged 71) Paris, France |
| Citizenship | French |
| Education | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physical Chemistry |
| Institutions | |
| Doctoral advisor | Henri Szwarc |
Alain Fuchs (10 April 1953 – 8 December 2024) was a Swiss-born French chemist. ADoctor of Science and Professor of Chemistry, he specialised in molecular simulation. Fuchs served as the president ofChimie ParisTech - PSL from 2006 to 2010. He also served as the president of theFrench National Centre for Scientific Research from 2010 to 2017.[1]'[2] Fuchs became an Officer of theLegion of Honour in 2014.[3]
From 24 October 2017 until 26 June 2024, Fuchs was president ofPSL University (Paris Sciences & Lettres).[4][5]
Alain Fuchs graduated as a Chemical engineer (1975) atEPFL.[6] In 1983, he became a doctor in Physical Chemistry atUniversité Paris-Sud (nowParis-Saclay University; his dissertation was "Cristaux vitreux et transition vitreuse" (about glass crystals).[7] He was also a postdoctoral fellow at theUniversity of Edinburgh (1984–1985).[8]
Fuchs joined CNRS in 1985 as a research fellow. He became a research director in 1991. In 1995, he became chemistry professor at Université Paris-Sud. Between 2000 and 2005, he set up and directed the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry (UMR 8000) at Campus d'Orsay. He also worked as the President of theagrégation in chemistry from 1998 to 2001 and he directed the Section 13 of the Comité national de la recherche scientifique between 2004 and 2008. He was also Professor at theUniversité Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) in thermodynamics and statistical thermodynamics, intermolecular and surface forces, molecular simulation techniques, history of chemistry and physical chemistry. He served as the president of Chimie ParisTech from 2006 to 2010.[6]
In January 2010, he was appointed President of the CNRS, succeedingCatherine Bréchignac (former President) d'Arnold Migus (former managing director).[9][10][11] Fuchs's mandate ended in 2014. After holding the position in interim for one month,[12] he was appointed again by the Ministry of Higher Education.[13]
In October 2017, Fuchs quit the position of CNRS President and became the President ofUniversité PSL (collegiate university including 9 members and 10 associate members).[4] He left the position for personal reasons in June 2024.[5]
Fuchs died in Paris on 8 December 2024, at the age of 71.[14][15]
His research activity was dedicated to the theory, modelling and molecular thermodynamics of fluids confined in various types of porous materials modeling and molecular simulation of confined fluids.[6] "Forced intrusion of water and aqueous solutions in microporous materials: from fundamental thermodynamics to energy storage devices"[16] (Chem. Soc. Rev.,46 (2017)) or "On the use of the IAST method for gas separation studies in porous materials with gate-opening behavior"[17] (Adsorption, 24 (2018)) are part of his last recent and major publications.
Alain Fuchs was a member of theAcademia Europaea[18] and he was a member of the editorial board of the journalPhysical Chemistry Chemical Physics.
Fuchs co-authored two books:
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