[6] Gnanou holds patents to inventions involving synthesizing polycarbonates and polycarbamates via chain-growth copolymerization using a Lewis acid, combining CO2 with oxirane or thiirane moieties and heteroallene reactants like isocyanates or isothiocyanates.

[7] Gnanou's research portfolio includes articles and books covering areas such as living/controlled chain polymerization, metal-free chemical synthesis, and macromolecular engineering.

In 2000, he co-authored a paper in JACS, wherein he investigated the controlled radical polymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate using an acyclic β-phosphonylated nitroxide as moderator, examining kinetics, equilibrium, and rate constants, reaching a pseudo-stationary state, and comparing experimental results with PREDICI software simulations.

[8] His 2005 study on macromolecular engineering reviewed recent advancements in the synthesis, stabilization, and biomedical applications of copolymer-based nanomaterials, emphasizing the self-assembly of block copolymers and the development of environmentally responsive 'smart materials'.

[12] Later in 2023, he designed borinane-based bifunctional catalysts with remarkably high activity that could be used in the presence of transfer agents for the same purpose of polycarbonate synthesis.

The book covered macromolecular engineering, focusing on the design, synthesis, characterization, and optimization of macromolecules, along with recent advances and applications in the field.