Project description
A bottom-up approach to the design of metamaterials
The characteristic spatial organisation of structural units in engineered metamaterials accounts for their astounding properties that cannot be found in naturally occurring materials. Smart bottom-up design strategies are key to successful large-scale metamaterial production. However, there are currently no systematic design approaches for mechanically-driven systems with large units. The EU-funded METAFOAM project is addressing the scientific challenges related to interface-controlled bottom-up structuring of bubble packings in initially liquid foam templates which will be solidified. The impact of the research will be twofold: first, it will advance our understanding of the non-thermal packing of very soft objects with tuneable interactions, linking the physics of granular media and biological tissues; second, it will provide new cellular systems for the fabrication and investigation of mechanical and acoustic metamaterials.
Objective
The astounding properties of metamaterials result from a characteristic spatial organisation of purpose-designed structural units. Research on metamaterials has greatly advanced thanks to their reliable top-down fabrication (lithography, 3D-printing,...). For large-scale production, however, smart bottom-up design strategies are required, for example through self-assembly of the structural units. While this has been developed for thermally-driven systems with sub-micrometric units, no systematic design strategies are established for mechanically-driven systems with larger units.
The METAFOAM project will fill this gap by addressing the scientific challenges towards controlled bottom-up structuring of bubble/drop packings in liquid foam/emulsion templates. While “ordinary” foams/emulsions have been investigated in depth, the control over their structure is very limited. The METAFOAM project will provide access to very different structures by explicitly tuning the bubble/drop interactions through the presence of a polymeric skin with controlled repulsive, adhesive and frictional properties.
We will develop methods to reliably create/characterise these skins and establish a state diagram which systematically relates the resulting bubble/drop interactions and the foam/emulsion structure. Solidification of the most promising structures will provide new types of cellular polymers with currently inaccessible mechanical or acoustic meta-properties: high stiffness-to-weight-ratios, negative Poisson ratios, and acoustic band-gap properties.
The impact of this interdisciplinary project at the interface between physics and chemistry is therefore two-fold. In the liquid state it will advance our understanding of the a-thermal packing of very soft objects with tuneable interactions, linking the physics of granular media and biological tissues. In the solid state it will provide new cellular systems for the fabrication and investigation of mechanical and acoustic metamaterials.
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.
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-2018-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.
75794 PARIS
France
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.