Project description
Revealing the inner workings of liquid crystals
Liquid crystals are notorious for their use in tiny digital watches and large flat panel displays. However, little is known about the particle interactions that take place at the interfaces of liquid crystals. The EU-funded EXCHANGE_inLCs project has set out to elucidate the particle–liquid crystal interactions on the sub-micron scale by examining the chemistry and nanoparticle geometrical effects at the interfaces of liquid crystals. The research will focus on how particle confinement, size and shape affect interactions. The project's results are expected to advance fundamental knowledge of nanoparticle self-assembly in anisotropic fluids, which is key to the development of new bottom-up approaches in nanotechnology.
Objective
The organization of nanoparticles is important for tuning material characteristics, impacting electronic and optical properties. Systems in nanotechnology are reliant upon self-assembly. Recently, liquid crystals, famous for displays, have been employed to self-assemble particles, due to the medium’s ability to form complex patterns. However, the exact interactions between nanoparticles and liquid crystals at the submicron scale remain ambiguous. EXCHANGE_inLCs seeks to elucidate particle-liquid crystal interactions at the submicron scale, by EXamining CHemistry and Nanoparticle Geometry Effects at the INterface of Liquid CrystalS through: 1) varying system GEOMETRY to elucidate the impact of confinement, particle size, and shape, and 2) varying system CHEMISTRY to clarify the activity of certain chemical species around particles. The project will be performed at Utrecht University, where the host has expertise in nanoparticle assembly and light nanoscopy. By varying system length scales and types of surface treatments, key interactions can be isolated.
The project will facilitate the following two-way transfer of knowledge between the host and me: A) The host has innovated methods of functionalizing, manipulating, and imaging particle assemblies, down to the single-particle resolution. Both skills are essential for me to investigate my systems at a challenging length scale where both chemistry and geometry can be equally influential. B) The host has a history of exploring the ordering of rod-like particles (colloidal liquid crystals), and my expertise in patterning rod-like molecules (molecular liquid crystals) would complement their body of knowledge. We share a mutual interest in interparticle interactions and their effects on self-assembly. The project combines our areas of expertise to advance fundamental knowledge of nanoparticle self-assembly in anisotropic fluids, essential for developing new bottom-up approaches in nanotechnology, a European priority.
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.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences mathematics pure mathematics geometry
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nano-materials
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
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.
-
H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
See all projects funded under this programme
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.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
3584 CS Utrecht
Netherlands
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.