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%\makeatletter
%\def\TITREspecial{\relax}
%\def\cdr@specialtitle@english{French Network on Solvation (GDR 2035 SolvATE)}
%\def\cdr@specialtitle@french{R\'eseau th\'ematique sur la solvatation (GDR 2035 SolvATE)}
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\title{French network on solvation (GDR 2035 SolvATE): Foreword}
\alttitle{R\'eseau th\'ematique sur la solvatation (GDR 2035 SolvATE) : Avant-propos}

\author{\firstname{Francesca} \lastname{Ingrosso}\CDRorcid{0000-0003-3606-0235}}

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\xsection{}
It is 
fitting to begin this historical overview with an anecdote. The
first time the possibility of developing a national network dedicated
to solvation was raised by the two future members of the SolvATE
leadership dates back to December 2014, on the occasion of a PhD
defense in Nancy. The location was particularly appropriate, as we were
in the premises of the former laboratory of Professors Jean Barriol and
Jean-Louis Rivail. The memory of those discussions never faded, and the
idea of establishing a CNRS Research Network (GDR being the French
acronym) gradually took shape.

In May 2017, following an initial email contact about solvation
research from the perspective of both French theorists and
experimentalists, we quickly moved toward organizing a ``Perspectives
Meeting'' in Paris. Twenty-five researchers, representing about twenty
laboratories (from the Paris region, Lille, Nancy, Dijon, Toulouse,
Rennes, Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon, Strasbourg, and Poitiers), discussed in
detail the scientific goals of the GDR, as well as its budget structure
and governance. A detailed report was then sent to all interested
laboratories, enabling the integration of additional suggestions and
comments into the final version of the project, submitted in September
2017, together with the individual laboratory forms signed by the
various institutional bodies. 

In the autumn of 2017, further discussions with the CNRS Institute of
Chemistry (INC), following the submission of the project, helped
identify potential weaknesses and avenues for improvement. In
particular, exchanges with Professor Philippe Hapiot led to contact
with other French laboratories with significant research activity in
the field of solvation. A meeting at CNRS headquarters in Paris with
Professors Claire-Marie Pradier and Daniel Borgis provided valuable
insight into the need to better structure the scientific project and
clarify its governance. All of these highly constructive remarks led to
the creation of SolvATE (GDR 2035), which was officially announced in
January 2018. At the same time, the SolvATE
website\footnote{\url{https://solvate.cnrs.fr/}} and mailing list were
created and have since served as communication tools within the
\mbox{network}. 

An essential mission of the SolvATE network is to bring forward the
broad issue of solvation as a major transversal field in chemistry and
physical chemistry. Our aim is to promote exchanges and interactions
among French researchers, both theoreticians and experimentalists, who
investigate solvent effects at the molecular level to understand
chemical processes from different yet complementary perspectives, and
to encourage collaborations with high level international groups. We
are proud to see that, after eight years of shared activity, we are a
highly dynamic community conducting research of international standing.
Through our meetings and \mbox{scientific} actions, we stimulated the
emergence of cutting-edge projects in order to build competitive
funding applications for national and international calls, to increase
the visibility of the community to partners outside academia. We have
actively involved young scientists (PhD students and postdoctoral
researchers), and organized initiatives for outreach and research
training, the details of which can be found on our website.

Our activities are structured in three research axes. In Axis 1
(Solvents in chemistry: toward a sustainable future), we focus on
developing experimental and theoretical techniques to elucidate solvent
effects on chemical reactivity, in a context of innovation aimed at
environmentally responsible technological and industrial applications.

Within Axis 2 (Solvation and interfaces/surfaces, nanoconfined
environments), we study chemical processes occurring at
interfaces/surfaces and within nanoconfined media display specific
features that can be exploited to construct a new chemistry in
solution. In phenomena underlying many chemical processes
(distillation, extraction, \mbox{materials} \mbox{development}) as well
as in fields such as electrochemistry and microfluidics, a microscopic
understanding of the behavior of solvated molecules in the presence of
interfaces is essential. 

Finally, in Axis 3 (Solvation in systems of
biological, pharmaceutical, and agri-food interest), we engage both in
fundamental research and in applications related to the design of
pharmaceutical and agri-food processes.

In conclusion, the establishment and maturation of the SolvATE network
has led to the consolidation of a vibrant and cohesive scientific
community, now firmly recognized at the national level for its
expertise in solvation science. The structuring efforts undertaken over
the past years have created a solid foundation for future developments.
Building on this momentum, the community is now well positioned to
broaden its scope, foster new strategic alliances, and engage more
actively with European partners. This special issue thus marks not an
endpoint, but rather a decisive step toward expanding the visibility
and impact of SolvATE beyond national borders, with the ambition of
contributing to a wider \mbox{European} \mbox{research} landscape in
solvation science.

\vspace*{.4pc}

\hspace*{.25cm}
\begin{xxminipage}
\vspace*{20pt}
Francesca Ingrosso\chimnewline  
Universit\'e de Lorraine and CNRS\chimnewline 
Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie Th\'eoriques UMR 7019,
Nancy, F-54000\chimnewline
France\chimnewline 
\textemail{Francesca.Ingrosso@univ-lorraine.fr}
\end{xxminipage}
\vspace*{-.2pc}

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