Know-How


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SiKÉMIA is a French company with expertise in material surface functionalization. Our products and services fill the needs of industrial companies whatever their size. SIKÉMIA helps manufacturers to solve technical difficulties thanks to material surface functionalization.

A wide range of sectors are interested in SiKÉMIA technology such as :

  • Aeronautic :Resistance to corrosion
  • Health : Medical Diagnostic / Biorecognition / Limitation of health risks
  • Luxury : Auto-lubrification
  • Cosmetics : Treated Pigments

Surface Functionalization provides new properties to the surface of a material. These properties can be physical, chemical or biological. SiKÉMIA technology focuses on chemical surface functionalization via coupling agents. SiKÉMIA proposes a specific methodology which combines the development of innovative coupling agents with chemical surface functionalization. This approach offers a much broader spectrum of surface functionalities and substrates than other existing methods.



SiKÉMIA offers products and services at three levels :

  • Products : A Catalog of 200 Innovative Organosilyl and Organophosphorous compounds from gram to ton
  • Services : Research Contract including
    • Custom Synthesis (Assessment for one original compound or an original compound group in silicon, phosphorus and sulfur chemistry)
    • Development of Functionalized Surfaces (Functionalization and grafting study)
    • Bibliographic survey and expertise for synthesis and/or grafting of coupling agents
    • Analyses
  • Licensing
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We create innovative coupling agents

Franck Martin

Latest news

2023

24

Dec.

Season's greetings

The entire SiKEMIA team wishes you a very happy festive season.

2022

16

Dec.

Coming Soon

A new site is coming soon stay tuned.

H2020

05

Sept.

European Projects

With a strong experience in collaborative projects, SiKÉMIA is looking for participating to European projects as partner in surface functionalization or linker synthesis.

Our catalog

Come now and discover innovative molecules !
Product catalog contains Organosilyl and organophosporous compounds

Our services

Custom Syntheses

You are looking for a specific molecule designed for your research project. We propose assessment, research and development for an original compound, in Silicon, Phosphorus and Sulfur chemistry.

Functionalized Surfaces

SiKÉMIA offers to develop a specific methodology in order to give the surface property you need.

Analyses

With a technical platform made of a large range of scientific instruments, SiKÉMIA provides qualitive measurments and/or characterizations for your molecules, materials or functionalized surfaces.

R&D Projects

Surface Functionalization fits with the needs of a lot of sectors that is why SiKÉMIA is commenly involved in a number of R&D projects.

Custom Syntheses

If your company has special requirements that are not met by our products, we offer professional services for product customization :

  • Bibliographic survey
  • Research & Development for a molecule or a synthesis route
  • Development and Optimization of the Process
  • Characterization of the synthesized molecule
Our know-how and experienced team can produce the compounds you need from milligram to kilogram scale. Your Custom Synthesis request will be evaluated to estimate exactly the cost and the delays. Any information on the synthesis or purification of such a compound is kept strictly confidential.
You will be guaranteed to work closely with the chemist in charge, to be informed of the progression and you will also have the possibility to change the target according to your priorities.


Functionalized Surfaces

SiKÉMIA develops and provides chemical surface modification based on chemisorption. With our surface modification process, the surface properties you expected can easily be controlled and tuned, enhancing the performance and quality of your materials or devices.
Industry leaders and Research institutes have already chosen SiKÉMIA to achieve the surface functionalization of their materials.

  • In the field of decontamination, surface treatment by chemical way allows to functionalize materials possessing a large specific area such as mesoporous silica. The free terminal function of the coupling agent grafted to the surface is chosen to react with the contaminant element. SiKÉMIA has already performed surface functionalization of silica particles for a French Institute in the context of their research project on decontamination.
  • SiKÉMIA has also developed an antibacterial coating for the health sector. The objective of the project was to protect medical devices as hip joint prosthesis from bacterial attack. The functionalization of the metal alloys has improved their bacterial resistance.
  • Making the right diagnosis in the case of cancer is a crucial task, but generally, relies on invasive medical testing (biopsy). SiKÉMIA has functionalized substrates in order to immobilize cancer marker samples. The functionalized substrates have been integrated into devices for in situ medical testing.
  • To enhance the performance of wet cement, a major construction company puts its trust in SiKÉMIA expertise to functionalize inorganic particles to control their wettability.

Analyses

SiKÉMIA surface functionalization process does not alter the transparency nor the appearance of the materials. Indeed, these layers are not visible with naked eye, this is why we also propose our services, to carry out a study according to your wishes. Thanks to a well-equipped technical platform we can quickly characterize :

  • The chemical composition of the outermost layer, using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS)
  • The change in thermal properties of the material, using Thermal Analysis (DSC, TGA, DTA)
  • The nature of grafted molecules, using 1H, 19F, 29Si, or 31P NMR
  • The amount and type of chemicals, using Mass spectroscopy
  • The Morphology, size, nature of a nanomaterial, using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)/ Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/ Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM)
  • The specific surface area of materials, using Brunauer, Emett and Teller (BET)
  • The size distribution profile of small particles in suspension, using Dynamic light scattering (DLS)
  • The structure of compounds, using X-ray diffraction (XRD)
  • The wettability of a surface, using Contact angle measurements
  • The absorption or emission spectrum at different wavelengths, using UV-visible- Infrared spectroscopy
With the expertise of our team, SiKÉMIA provides quality measurements for your studies.


R&D Projects

  • Watch Industry : SiKÉMIA has developed, in collaboration with a major Swiss watch company, a new epilame product. For the watch company, the epilame process limits the oil creeping in watch movement.Our new epilame product avoids the use of fluorinated solvents and resists to the washing conditions of watch industry.
  • Cosmetic Industry : Silkéo is a research project of SiKÉMIA dedicated to the surface functionalization of pigments. Our surface treatments and other services fill the needs of cosmetics companies, whatever their size. The Silkéo surface treatment provides new properties to sublime formulation thanks to pigments performance.

  • Public Funded Projects :
    • MetRecycle
    • The main objective of the MetRecycle project work will be therefore oriented to design different pre-treatment steps, in order to improve REE’s dissolution rates in the aqueous phase, followed by specific and selective recovery of different REE’s by using novel adsorbent nanomaterials containing precisely selected functional ligands according to Pearson`s HSAB theory (-SH, -NH2, –P=O, -COOH, etc.), which will have a high tendency to remove REE’s metal ions (Neodymium, Europium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Yttrium). In this project, SiKÉMIA design and synthesizes coupling agents for surface functionalization of nanoparticles. The dedicated website is cooming soon...

    • PROMIS
    • The aim of the « Initial Training Network » PROMIS is to train young researcher in the field of photonics.
      The domains of investigation are 4 very promising photonic sectors : semiconductors based plasmonics, nanostructured semiconductors, hydrogenated semiconductors and metamorphism structures. Visit the dedicated website www.physics.lancs.ac.uk/promis/

    • EIROS
    • The EIROS project will develop self-renewing, erosion resistant and anti-icing composite materials for use in extreme environments (high erosion and very low temperature). Potential end user applications are numerous and the initial focus will be on wind turbine blades, aerospace leading edges and cryogenic storage tanks for space applications. Visit the dedicated website www.eirosproject.com

    • H-CCAT
    • The H-CCAT project devises solid hybrid materials that are superior catalysts for C-H activation on aromatic compounds, and develops innovative procedures to produce and shape these catalytic materials in an economically and environmentally beneficial way. The catalysts will allow sustainable production of pharmaceutically relevant compounds or other specialty chemicals. Visit the dedicated website www.h-ccat.eu

       

Applications

Making the right diagnosis at an earliest stage in the case of illness is crucial. Molecular recognition is central to devices like biosensors and In Vitro Diagnostic kits.
A biosensor is a device incorporating a biological 'recognition' element integrated with a physio-chemical transducer. Many biosensor recognition elements are synthesized in the laboratory.
An in vitro diagnostic is a method of performing a diagnostic test outside of a living body. The IVD industry needs reagents that are solutions of highly-specific biological or chemical substances able to react with target substances in the samples. This process will result in an outcome that can be measured or seen.
SiKÉMIA offers a large range of coupling agents some of which are well known for biorecognition such as molecules with amine, alcohol, etc. terminal functions and other which are more innovative.
The serious consequences of the corrosion process have become a problem of worldwide significance. In addition to our everyday encounters with this form of degradation, corrosion causes plant shutdowns, waste of valuable resources, loss or contamination of products, reduction in efficiency, costly maintenance, and expensive overdesign. It can also jeopardize safety and inhibit technological progress.
Given this situation, corrosion protection is a major challenge for many companies. SiKÉMIA solution prevents from corrosion by forming a SAM stable in time and under extreme conditions. The versatile nature of SiKÉMIA chemistry means that it can be used either as a discrete layer that is applied prior to the coating, or as a component that is mixed in with a formulation.
Advanced materials offer excellent intrinsic properties such as light weight, chemical resistance and high strength; however their use in products containing laminate structures or coated parts is often limited because they cannot be strongly bonded to other materials. SiKÉMIA chemicals bond in a covalent way with materials, the technology enables high stability bonding between a wide range of coatings and inorganic substrates.
SiKÉMIA materials are processed as wet formulations to form a chemical link that provides the bonding of the coating to the substrate. Furthermore, the SiKÉMIA surface functionalization process maintains the transparency and the appearance of the materials.
Some materials can sometimes encounter environments that cause unwanted aggregation. Particles dispersed in the liquid phase stick to each other. This process generates unstable solutions. Inorganic particles are necessary for science and technology as materials, pigments and cosmetics products. Improving the dispersion stability of particles in various liquids is essential for these applications.
Some factors influence aggregation such as charged molecules or steric hindrance, that’s why SiKÉMIA offers this kind of chemistry in order to avoid particles aggregation and facilitate dispersibility.
The strategy of covalent crosslinking is used in technologies of commercial and scientific interest to control and enhance properties of the resulting polymer system or interface, such as thermosets and coatings. Crosslinking is also the formation of chemical links between molecular chains to form a three-dimensional network of connected molecules. The vulcanization of rubber using elemental sulfur is an example of crosslinking, converting raw rubber from a weak plastic to a highly resilient elastomer.
SiKÉMIA offers chemicals with two functional groups that can fit with the chemistry of the cross-linked compounds. If you need other crosslinkers which do not appear in the catalog. SiKÉMIA can synthesize them.
Fouling marine organisms attached to underwater structures are causing major economical cost to the shipping industry and are increasing its environmental impact.
Self-cleaning – treated surfaces are becoming essential. Locations that are difficult to access. Self-cleaning effects are used in a targeted way.
Binding of microbial cell surface to host receptor molecules is a critical early step in microbial infection and pathogenesis. Anti-adhesive strategies offer an attractive mean for preventing infection.
Uncontrolled oil-spread on surfaces other than the mechanism can be problematic for the watch making industry, especially if mechanisms have to remain functional over a long period of time.
Packaging is required everywhere. It is widely recognized as a critical step because during the transfer of the merchandise outside the packaging, the loss of product may cause important costs.
For all these reasons anti-adhesion remains one of the major challenges for many industrial fields. SiKÉMIA proposes an easy to implement, inexpensive and adaptable solution.
We provide new surface properties

Meet our team

Franck Martin

Franck Martin

R&D Director

Aude Mezy

Aude Mezy

Project Manager

Céline Schmitt

Céline Schmitt

Project Manager

Guillaume Gracy

Chemist

Adeline Garcia

Chemist

Keep in touch with us

Contact us

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SiKÉMIA

Cap Gamma, 1682 rue de la valsiere
34790 Grabels, FRANCE, FR
phone : +33(0)9 82 81 89 05
mail : contact@sikemia.com

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