Projects / Programmes
Physics of soft matter, surfaces, and nanostructures
January 1, 2015
- December 31, 2021
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.02.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physics |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| P002 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physics |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.03 |
Natural Sciences |
Physical sciences |
soft matter, nanostructures, surfaces, complex fluids, colloids, liquid crystals, polymers, elastomers, biomaterials, nanotubes, resonators, waveguides, photonics, optics, topology, ultra-fast dynamics, activity, atomic force microscopy, microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, applications
Researchers (53)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
We aim to explore hot challenges in modern soft matter, nanostructures and surfaces, uniquely combining selected quests from scientific fields ranging from physics, biotechnology, and chemistry to photonics, optics and nanoscience. The research is devised into complementary objectives which aim at novel concepts such as new photonic platform-the topological photonics-, soft matter topological superstructures, and complex fluid active microbots. We will explore topological structures of material fields and colloids in complex fluids, topology and geometry of soft matter, soft matter photonics, ultra-fast phenomena, unconventional soft materials, actuated and active matter, nanomaterials, polymer nanocomposites and lubricants, strongly-correlated systems of atoms and surfaces, and importantly their applications, all at the top-edge of modern science. The research methodology will combine experiments, theory and modelling which will give the program a distinct advantage by allowing it to optimize approaches and in-full explore the scientific ideas. The three main application directions are aimed to develop curved liquid crystalline shutters for welding goggles and angular-selective eye-protectors, to realize an optical transistor based on resonant optical control of fluorescence in nematic microresonators, and to achieve large-scale synthesis and application of MoS2-nanotube based anti-wear and lubrication materials. The research work of our group is at the cutting edge of modern physics of soft matter, surfaces and nanostructures, as supported by our highest level publications (Science, Nature,…), plenary, invited and keynote talks at best international conferences (e.g. Gordon conferences), awarded patents, and high-citation papers. The core objectives are aimed at top research and innovations, based on scientific excellence and highest standards of practice, which not only strengthens the academic and industrial attractiveness of Slovenia but in its essence contributes to the Slovenian excellence in general. We contribute to the socioeconomic and cultural growth of Slovenia also via education, visitors and exchange visits, all at various levels. A variety of outreach activities are planned to disseminate the results of this program including, scientific publications, talks, conference organization, high-school lectures, news and e-news articles, and open-access contributions. Finally, the scientific, socioeconomic and cultural contributions of our program group range from fundamental science, high-tech applications, a spin-off company, and patents to teaching and training of various level professionals, which are all actions towards making Slovenia a high-tech high-value-added knowledge-based society.
Significance for science
The research work of our program group –now newly ambitiously defined for this proposal- is at the cutting edge of modern physics of soft matter, surfaces and nanostructures, as supported by highest level publications (Science, Nature,…), invited plenary and keynote talks at best conferences (e.g. Gordon conferences), awarded patents (EU,….), and high-citation papers. Functionalized soft matter with characteristics emanating at nano and microscale is a direct route towards novel materials with novel material properties. Miniaturization to increasingly smaller length scales has been a major driver for knowledge based applications as it allows for economies of scales in production and raises the quality of the products by imprinting properties, such as lower power consumption, lower limits of detection, and increased capacity. This proposal is a direct aim to such applications, investing into their science and giving also clear technological deliverables.
The research of our program group addresses phenomena related to material science, optics, mechanism of living cells, computer modelling, surface, nanotechnology and microfluidics, being therefore with outreach to diverse fields of science. There is a consensus in the scientific community that photonics will play one of the prominent roles in the 21st century, and this proposal is at the top of modern photonics by combining it with topological soft matter, which will open new important and ambitious questions at the interplay of these two fields. To the best of our knowledge there is no other research group in the world, which could realize such program, i.e. have expertise to jointly explore the self-assembly of light structures, model their organization and study the flow of light in such complex optical matter. We will explore open questions in general condensed matter science, such as mechanisms for production of topological charge affected by the presence of micro-objects and the role of confinement and topology of objects in this defect production. A special novel challenge of the program will be biocompatible liquid crystal and active nematics, which is a novel topic at the world level, combining research of physics-centered complex fluids with active and biological matter. Further, the program objectives aim at the mechanisms of microswimming, as a broad challenge of understanding and controlling locomotion in low-Reynolds number conditioned (hydro)dynamics.
The synthesis of novel low-dimensional nanomaterials is important from the perspective of applied science of microlubrication, wear-control and biocompatibility. Optimization procedures will be explored, aiming to produce high-throughput of the nanomaterials. Knowing the structural properties and growth mechanism of diverse nanomaterials is a challenge with results relevant for a range of scientific fields including physics, electronics, biomedicine, and engineering. Because there exist only very few of MoS2-based nanomaterials, either in the scientific literature or in the market, novel material properties and applications are very likely to be revealed.
Important scientific deliverables of this program grant lay also in the development of novel methods for designing, generating, characterizing, modelling, and controlling the materials. Developing and exploring novel materials regularly requires adapting or developing novel techniques and methodological approaches. For example, bridging fields of complex fluids, topology and photonics, as one of the key objectives of this grant, will require top-edge combination of experimental, theoretical or modeling approaches from all these fields.
The high potential and importance of the proposed complementary topics of soft matter, surfaces and nanostructures materials is reflected in the large number of excellent groups and institutions working in the field, including MIT, Harvard, CNRS, MPIs, Oxford, and Cambridge. The research work is published in highest ranking
Significance for the country
The objectives of our program group are aimed at top-level research and innovations, based on scientific excellence and highest standards of practice. Such building upon excellence in Slovenian institutions not only strengthens the academic and industrial attractiveness of Slovenia but in its essence contributes to the Slovenian excellence and socioeconomic development in general. Major drivers of our program group such as the complementary fundamental science and technological applicability are essential elements that can contribute to the long-term sustainable development and competitiveness of Slovenia. The research in the field of experimental and theoretical soft matter physics has a long and very successful tradition in Slovenia – and our program group is in the core of this community. In nearly 30 years of research, strong links have been tied between the two central research institutions in the field in Slovenia– the Josef Stefan Institute and the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics UL- which importantly contributed to the growth of the research quality to the top-world level.
Our group regularly files international patents on the developed technology and research solutions (6 patents in the previous funding period). In this renewal of the program grant, technological deliverables will be further pursued and are expected to attract further high-tech industry. Actions (interviews, presentations, patent presentations) will be performed at SLO, EU and international level to attract possible partners (for example together with collaborators at Max-Planck-Institute for Dynamics and Self- Organization, Germany).
TECHNOLOGY1: Specifically, our applied research is strongly interlinked with the Slovenian high-tech company Balder, which is now member of Kimberly-Clark corporation. The company Balder was started as a spin-off of the Josef Stefan Institute and is the world most-important producer of active filters for welding. The applicative research objectives of this grant renewal are prepared inline, and in strong collaboration with the research department of Balder company. Therefore, notably, the applied research of our program group is a direct boost to the competitiveness and development of a high-tech Slovenian company.
TECHNOLOGY2: The second main-stream application direction of our program group as a socioeconomic contribution to the development of Slovenia is the synthesis and use of MoS2 nanotubes as novel lubricant and anti-wear materials. The current testing shows major reduction of friction, wear and consequently energy when using MoS2 nanotubes as surface layers in mechanical actions. The current obstacle to full commercialization of the MoS2-nanotube technology –which is now a distinct applied goal of this grant renewal- is to develop synthesis process with kilogram-scale yields of MoS2 nanotubes that could allow for large-scale applications and semi-industrial testing. The developed MoS2 technology shows also interesting applications as antibacterial materials in medical applications. And lastly, alongside with this technological and research work, we are intensively contributing to the transfer of expert knowledge on nano-safety and detection of nano-particles into legislation and industrial processes. Therefore, this work is also a contribution to improve work safety standards in industry and more broadly, to improve air-quality and air-safety in Slovenia as a whole.
Our program group contributes to the socioeconomic and cultural growth of Slovenia also via education, visitors and exchange visits. Members of our program group regularly teach multiple science courses at undergraduate, graduate and PhD levels, and train multiple MSc and PhD thesis students from Slovenia and abroad (e.g. UK, India, China, Iran, Italy), which is a direct contribution to the people’s potential. Regularly, our group hosts distinguished visitors from all over the world (EU, Japan, USA….) which give seminars and lectures, an
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2015,
interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2015,
interim report
