New materials for environmental and biological applications
Nanomaterials, those with dimensions on the scale of atoms and molecules, display exciting properties quite different from those of the same materials in bulk form. They are revolutionising design in virtually all fields. Putting two or more such materials together in hybrid composite nanomaterials was the objective of the EU-funded project 'Hybrid nanocomposites and their applications' (COMPOSITUM). The comprehensive work plan focused on development and characterisation of novel hybrid composites and functionalised nanomaterials for applications in biological and environmental systems. During the four years of funding, scientists synthesised and characterised numerous nanomaterials based on oxides, carbon, polymers and natural minerals, paying particular attention to interactions with living systems. Structure–function analyses were carried out on relevant selected applications. Researchers collected important data related to interface phenomena, interesting properties and behaviours at the meeting point of two different materials. COMPOSITUM was also designed with the training of early-stage researchers (ESRs) in mind. In addition to technological successes, the project and its partners contributed to the dissertations and theses of 20 doctoral students, two Master's students and two undergraduate students. Participants gave over 200 presentations at 45 different conferences. COMPOSITUM organised four conferences and four annual meetings related in part to surface chemistry and physics and interfacial phenomena as well as to experimental and analytical techniques. Researchers and the global scientific community also benefited from healthy exchange programmes with partner laboratories in Poland, Greece, Hungary, Ukraine and the United Kingdom, resulting in 93 publications covering journal articles, book chapters and an entire book. An impressive 53 % of the project's researchers were women. COMPOSITUM made a substantial contribution to the advancement of nanocomposite materials with numerous innovative composites for environmental and biological applications. The scientific network is fostered and its support of new researchers will ensure that the legacy lives on, helping to make Poland and its partner countries major players in an important sector of the global economy.
