The PhD project focuses on the valorization of alkaline silicate solutions generated from the cleaning, etching, and texturing of silicon wafers during photovoltaic cell manufacturing. These waste solutions, produced in large quantities (around 5000 m³ per GW of cells), are being studied as a potential source for synthesizing advanced materials such as nanoparticles (zeolites, MOFs) or activated materials used for pollutant capture.

The aim of this thesis work is to combine atomistic simulations (metadynamics) with experiments (small-angle scattering, NMR spectroscopy) to understand both the structure of these basic solutions and the mechanisms of crystallization or formation of mesoporous solids at different scales.

In addition to the synthesis of functional nanoparticles, a detailed understanding of these colloidal systems would provide deeper insight into the surfactant properties of silicates, potential interactions with polymer stability in solution, coating properties after drying, and the dissolution behavior of magnesium oxide, with the goal of developing new low-carbon hydraulic binders.