Hugues GIRARD

Research Director in the field of nanomaterials for energy-related applications

• Nanoscale structuring of diamond material through innovative MPCVD processes
• Surface chemistry engineering of diamond nanostructures and nanoparticles
• Understanding of interfacial mechanisms and colloidal behavior of diamond nanoparticles
• Investigation of light-matter interactions with diamond nanoparticles

Research experience

Since September 2020	Nanometric Structures Lab CEA NIMBE, UMR CEA-CNRS Fundamental Research Division Paris-Saclay Center	Nanomaterials for energy : Synthesis and functionalization of diamond nanoparticles and nanostructures
June 2010-August 2020	Diamond Sensors Lab CEA LIST Technological Research Division Paris-Saclay Center	Materials for sensors and biotechnologies : development of devices and sensitive layers based on bulk diamond or diamond (nano)particles
2009-2010	Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée (PMC) CNRS-Ecole Polytechnique	Post-Doc Position : Development of new functionalization routes based on hydrogenated nanodiamonds
2008-2009	Diamond Sensors Lab CEA LIST Technological Research Division Paris-Saclay Center	Post-Doc Position : Development of nanoseeding techniques toward 3D MPCVD growth
2004-2008	Institut Lavoisier CNRS-Université de Versailles St Quentin en Yvelines	PhD : Electrochemical behavior of boron doped diamond electrodes : role of surface chemistry

Education

2018 Accreditation to Supervise Research	Université Paris-Saclay – France
2004 PhD in Material Chemistry	Université Versailles – St Quentin en Yvelines – France

Recent and Noteworthy Scientific Publications

List of publications – HAL-portal-CEA

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Chemistry of the Shallow Surface of Isolated Nanodiamonds Probed by Synchrotron X-Ray Photoemission
Girard, H. A.; Finas, M.; Saoudi, L.; Ducrozet, F.; Briant, M.; Sublemontier, O.; Milosavljevic, A.; Nicolas, C.; Arnault, J. C. Nanoscale 2025, 16–18

Tailoring Nanodiamonds for High-Contrast EPR Imaging: Size, Surface Properties, and Spectroscopic Performance
Garifo, S.; Stanicki, D.; Vangijzegem, T.; Mellet, P.; Girard, H. A.; Arnault, J.-C.; Bégin-Colin, S.; Frapart, Y.-M.; Muller, R. N.; Laurent, S. Langmuir 2025, 41, 4862–4873

Thermal Sensing Using Temperature‐Sensitive Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy in Nitrogen‐Doped Nanodiamonds
Sáenz de Santa María Modroño, P.; Girard, H. A.; Arnault, J.; Jacopin, G. Phys. status solidi 2025, 222 (5), 1–6

Tuning Surface Properties of Detonation and Milled Nanodiamonds by Gas Phase Modifications
Girard, H. A.; Arnault, J.-C. In Novel Aspects of Diamond II; Mandal, S., Yang, N., Eds.; Springer Nature Switzerland: Cham, 2024,149, 47–76.

In Situ Photoemission Spectroscopies to Reveal Surface Transfer Doping on Hydrogenated Milled Nanodiamonds
Njel, C.; Girard, H. A.; Frégnaux, M.; Aureau, D.; Arnault, J. C. Carbon N.Y. 2024, 230, 119668

Nitrogen-Terminated Milled Nanodiamond Surfaces by Plasma Exposure
Kuntumalla, M. K.; Chemin, A.; Finas, M.; Girard, H. A.; Michaelson, S.; Petit, T.; Arnault, J.-C.; Hoffman, A. J. Phys. Chem. C 2024, 128, 15573

How to efficiently isolate multiple size ranges of oxidized or hydrogenated milled nanodiamonds
Finas, M; Girard, H. A.; Arnault, J.-C. Nanoscale Adv. 2024, 6, 5375

Oxidized Detonation Nanodiamonds Act as an Efficient Metal-Free Photocatalyst to Produce Hydrogen Under Solar Irradiation
Marchal, C; Saoudi, L; Girard, HA; Keller, V; Arnault, JC. Adv. Energy Sustain. Res. 2024, 5 (3), 1–8.

Core-shells particles grown in a tubular reactor: Influence of the seeds nature and MPCVD conditions on boron-doped diamond crystalline quality
Henni, K; Njel, C; Frégnaux, M; Aureau, D; Merot, J-S; Fossard, F; Stenger, I; Arnault, J-C; Girard HA. Diam Relat Mater 2024, 142, 110770

Milled Nanodiamonds Overproduce Solvated Electrons while Scavenging Hydroxyl Radicals under Gamma Irradiation
Ducrozet, F; Brun, E; Girard, HA; Arnault, J-C; Sicard-Roselli, C. J Phys Chem C 2023, 127, 19544

Unintentional formation of nitrate and nitrite ions during nanodiamonds sonication: A source of radical and electron scavengers
Ducrozet, F.; Girard, H.A.; Jianu, T.; Peulon, S.; Brun, E.; Sicard-Roselli, C.; Arnault, J.C. Colloids Surfaces A Physicochem. Eng. Asp. 2023, 663, 131087

Colloid stability over months of highly crystalline hydrogenated nanodiamonds in water
Saoudi, L.; Girard, H.A.; Larquet, E.; Arnault, J.-C. . Carbon N. Y. 2023, 202, 438

Early dynamics of the emission of solvated electrons from nanodiamonds in water,
Buchner, F.; Kirschbaum, T.; Venerosy, A.; Girard, H.A.; Arnault, J.C.; Kiendl, B.; Krueger, A.; Larsson, K.; Bande, A.; Petit, T.; et al. Nanoscale 2022, 14, 17188

New Insights into the Reactivity of Detonation Nanodiamonds during the First Stages of Graphitization
Ducrozet, F.; Girard, H.A.; Leroy, J.; Larquet, E.; Florea, I.; Brun, E.; Sicard-Roselli, C.; Arnault, J.-C. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2671

Hydrogen plasma treated nanodiamonds lead to an overproduction of hydroxyl radicals and solvated electrons in solution under ionizing radiation
Brun, E.; Girard, H.A.; Arnault, J.; Mermoux, M.; Sicard-Roselli, C. Carbon N. Y. 2020, 162, 510

Delivery of siRNA to Ewing Sarcoma Tumor Xenografted on Mice, Using Hydrogenated Detonation Nanodiamonds: Treatment Efficacy and Tissue Distribution
Claveau, S.; Nehlig, É.; Garcia-Argote, S.; Feuillastre, S.; Pieters, G.; Girard, H.A.; Arnault, J.-C.; Treussart, F.; Bertrand, J.-R. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 553

Combining nanostructuration with boron doping to alter sub band gap acceptor states in diamond materials.
Choudhury, S.; Kiendl, B.; Ren, J.; Gao, F.; Knittel, P.; Nebel, C.; Venerosy, A.; Girard, H.; Arnault, J.-C.; Krueger, A.; et al. J. Mater. Chem. A 2018, 6, 16645

Using hydrogen isotope incorporation as a tool to unravel the surfaces of hydrogen-treated nanodiamonds.
Nehlig, E.; Garcia-Argote, S.; Feuillastre, S.; Moskura, M.; Charpentier, T.; Schleguel, M.; Girard, H.A.; Arnault, J.-C.; Pieters, G. Nanoscale 2019, 11, 8027