Project description
Soft colloidal 'swimmers' navigate uncharted waters
Technological advances – and aspirations – are flourishing in the realm of the very small. The ability to create autonomous intelligent materials on microscopic scales that are capable of 'decision-based' movement could revolutionise the capabilities of microscale devices for a myriad of applications. The EU-funded ACTIVE_ADAPTIVE project is on the trail of a new class of active soft materials they call artificial microswimmers. They will exhibit single-particle regulation and modulation of collective behaviour by sensing and sending chemical signals, e.g. in the form of pH changes. Control of strong coupling among particles will enable control over emergent collective behaviours for novel applications.
Objective
The vision of creating autonomous materials constituted of microscale motile units promises to disrupt a broad range of technologies but is still far beyond our reach. Inspired by nature, these materials are active, i.e. they convert available energy into functions, and adaptive, i.e. they respond to stimuli by reconfiguring via internal feedback and signalling schemes. In order to progress, we need to rethink the way in which we design, fabricate and control synthetic active units, aka active colloids or artificial microswimmers.
I propose an innovative approach that combines colloidal synthesis, assembly and actuation with nanofabrication and the implementation of feedback to realize a new class of active colloids. Borrowing ideas from soft-robotic systems, we aim to realize and study “cyber-free” artificial microswimmers, which, in addition to on-board energy conversion, present internal degrees of freedom allowing for sensing, feedback and communication pathways ultimately to be regulated without external intervention. In particular, we will: 1) Numerically and experimentally implement feedback schemes to regulate single-particle motility and collective behaviour based on control theory. 2) Use a unique combination of capillary assembly and two-photon nanolithography to create shape-shifting active colloids that autonomously regulate their motility based on stimuli orthogonal to their propulsion schemes. 3) Create “transmitting” and “receiving” active colloids, sending and sensing chemical signals (pH changes), to regulate their motility.
By introducing strong coupling between particles, and with stimuli beyond classical colloidal interactions, this proposal will enable a forward leap in the study of the emergent physics of active systems, as required to realize the vision of autonomous materials and microscale devices.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-COG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland
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