Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Self-propelled colloidal particles: single particle motion and collective behavior

Objective

Active materials present us with interesting possibilities for the design of materials and devices, yet they also introduce some scientific and technological challenges. In particular, self-propelled colloidal particles or artificial microswimmers have been identified as a new class of matter with great potential, owing to their ability to mimic the collective motion of complex living systems, but also serve as model systems to study intrinsically out-of-equilibrium systems. Moreover, self-propelled particles (SPPs) can strikingly resemble the collective behavior of living microorganisms, by consuming internal energy or extracting energy from their local environment in order to generate their own motion. Despite great progress in developing different types of colloidal microswimmers, obtaining a detailed 3D insight of their collective motion is still elusive with currently available SPPs. The present proposal aims at developing better model systems with tunable propulsion and intends to achieve this by two key ideas: (i) fluorescently labeled, refractive-index and density-matching active spherical particles, to obtain for the first time a detailed real space insight in 3D on a single particle level using confocal microscopy, using tunable light control of the propulsion; (ii) fluorescently labeled self-propelled rods to study how shape anisotropy influences the collective motion. Systematic characterization of the proposed model systems will allow me to study when and how microscopic dynamics affect the macroscopic behavior of internally driven colloidal systems. Our results will shed light on how the dimensionality and shape affects the collective dynamics of SPPs. Potential applications lie in self-coating materials and there will be an increased understanding of the collective dynamics of active systems, with possible insights for biological systems.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

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.

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2015

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 175 419,60
Address
Raemistrasse 101
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland

See on map

Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 175 419,60
My booklet 0 0