Project description
Smart materials for sustainable solutions
Traditional engineering relies on passive static components, such as beams, wires, and joints, which are driven by active dynamic elements like motors, dampers, and sensors. This approach limits the potential for more integrated, flexible systems. The ERC-funded ALCEMIST project seeks to improve this by combining the functionalities of both passive and active components in a single material. The project focuses on liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), which are unique, responsive materials that change shape, colour, and properties in response to stimuli. ALCEMIST’s sustainable, cost-effective LCEs, made from polysaccharides, will be reprocessable and reusable, opening up innovative applications in areas like adaptive building elements, medical devices, and smart materials, with a transformative approach to large-scale industrial use.
Objective
ALCEMIST challenges the conventional engineering mindset where passive static components (beams, wires, joints) are driven by active dynamic ones (motors, dampers, sensors); our innovative materials enable the combined functionality in a single component. This bold ambition is feasible because our research will unlock the full potential of liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), unique responsive materials that reversibly change shape, colour, adhesive or damping properties, triggered by stimuli like heat, light, humidity or strain. We propose a radically new sustainable materials platform based on polysaccharides, functionalising precursors such that anyone-using click chemistry-can make LCEs that are powerful yet biocompatible and biodegradable, at one tenth of the cost of state-of-the-art LCEs. Further, using bond-exchange chemistry, ALCEMIST LCEs will be re-processable and re-usable. We also present a ground-breaking processing approach based on flow patterning to make large-scale LCEs of complex shapes and actuation modes. The synergy of three perfectly complementary and highly productive scientists, each a recognised leader in their field, enables this transformative approach to making atypical LCEs.
As all our methods are ideal for industrial upscaling, we will also demonstrate the yet untapped potential of LCEs when they are applied in atypical contexts, totally different from the current mainstream academic focus. These range from adhesives that can be reversibly debonded on demand or sun-powered adaptive building elements which save energy and improve indoor atmosphere, to microhearts and peristaltic vasculature that can remove the growth limits of lab-grown organs, or smart threads that give doctors critical feedback on suture tension when conducting robotic surgery. By overthrowing multiple conventions in the ways LCEs are synthesised, studied and engineered, ALCEMIST will enable and stimulate new lines of research, basic and applied, across large communities.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
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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HORIZON.1.1 - 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.
HORIZON-ERC-SYG - HORIZON ERC Synergy Grants
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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-2024-SyG
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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.
4365 ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE
Luxembourg
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.