Project description
Chemical reactions of 2D materials offer exciting potential for novel materials
Controlling the chemical reactions between 2D solids at the nanoscale opens the door to the development of materials that can be programmed at the atomic level. Possible applications include bio-inspired batteries and artificial synapses for future neuromorphic electronics. Building on the recent success of Van der Waals technology, the EU-funded Programmable Matter project will trigger chemical reactions between crystalline solid planes placed a few angstrom apart. Controlling different parameters such as temperature, electric and magnetic fields, light, sound, pressure and mechanical forces, the project will enable precise spatial control of chemical reactions at the nanoscale, furthering progress towards the development of programmable matter.
Objective
Chemical reactions between solids are fundamental in areas as diverse as catalysis, information storage, pharmaceuticals, electronics manufacturing, advanced ceramics, and solar energy, to name just a few. Controlling the spatial extent of solid-state reactions at the nanoscale will enable development of materials, programmed on an atomic level, which will facilitate many emerging applications like bioinspired smart batteries and artificial synapses for future neuromorphic electronics. However, currently, there are no chemistry methods which allow precise spatial control at the nanoscale, limiting progress towards the programmable matter. Here I propose a completely new way to create novel materials using two-dimensional (2D) chemical reactions at the atomically-defined interfaces between crystalline solids. Usually, reactions between macroscopic solids are hindered as their large dimensions prevent placing them close enough to each other to support chemical transformations. Thus, just a few years ago, the task of placing two atomically flat crystals within angstrom proximity of each other, to initiate chemical interactions between them, was impossible to realise. This situation has changed dramatically with the advent of van der Waals technology - disassembly of various layered crystals into individual atom- or molecule-thick layers followed by a highly-controlled reassembly of these layers into artificial heterostructures. Building on our recent progress in van der Waals technology, I aim to realise interplanar chemical reactions between highly-crystalline solids in precisely controllable conditions using temperature, electric and magnetic fields, light, sound, pressure, and mechanical forces as means of control. Using digital control of 2D chemistry, mechanics, and electronics at the nanoscale, I and my team will develop programmable matter that actively responds to external and internal stimuli by adjusting their properties on an atomic level.
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.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs
- natural sciences chemical sciences catalysis
- engineering and technology materials engineering ceramics
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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)
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.
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-2019-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.
M13 9PL Manchester
United Kingdom
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.