ESMI

European Soft Matter Infrastructure

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The central objective of this ESMI proposal is to create a top-level interdisciplinary research infrastructure available to a broad European materials research community. This is of crucial importance to the EU in view of the European strategy for nanosciences and nanotechnology and its implementation report that identifies “a lack of leading interdisciplinary infrastructures”. ESMI offers the most important experimental and synthesis techniques and combines world-class infrastructures with cutting edge scientific expertise through a sophisticated networking programme. The anticipated JRA will further improve the existing infrastructure. Computer simulations being of increasing importance for the understanding and prediction of complex materials, ESMI offers access to simulation groups and their advanced tools. The availability of such an infrastructure will provide soft matter scientists with a broad choice of techniques to address their scientific objectives. It will result in a quantum leap in research opportunities and assure that European scientists have a world-class collaborative capability for their frontier research. ESMI will strongly contribute to a fundamental understanding, allowing the development of new, tailored smart materials. ESMI follows the FP6 experience of the NoE SoftComp. A key feature developed within SoftComp is the highly successful Research Platforms offered to its members, anticipating the spirit of the EU Integrated Infrastructure Initiative. ESMI will promote the SoftComp experience to the European materials community, reflecting the EU recommendations that FP6 collaborative projects “may well lead to new European infrastructures”. Together with a platform for disseminating the results and educating a new generation of young soft matter scientists, ESMI represents an important added value to the European Research Area in nanoscience, nanotechnology and materials science'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Nanotechnology is booming, yet world-class experimental and theoretical tools are sparsely distributed, thus limiting their use. A large European consortium is pulling together resources and offering free access and scientific support.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The EU is aggressively pursuing research and technology development in the growing field of nanosciences and nanotechnology. Of crucial importance to materials research is a coordinated network of leading infrastructures. The EU-funded 'European soft matter infrastructure' (ESMI) project was conceived to provide free access to the most important experimental and synthetic techniques, simulation capabilities and world-class infrastructures. Enhanced networking, together with training of young soft matter scientists and dissemination of important results, will improve the coherence and capabilities of research for novel, tailored smart materials.

The EMSI infrastructure consists of an experimental platform, a synthesis platform, and a theory and simulation platform. The first covers spectroscopy, microscopy, scattering methods and rheology. The second deals with inorganic and organic nanoparticles and polymers. The third covers high performance computing, algorithms and codes.

Partners developed new experimental techniques to measure dilational viscosities in two dimensions via a rotating diaphragm trough. Scientists developed the first version of a computer-controlled Helmholtz coil system and developed a prototype used for time-resolved transmission measurements in the investigation of magnetic field-driven rotational motion of ellipsoidal magnetic particles. A variety of tailored systems were synthesised, including a functional hydrogel for potential use as a scaffold in tissue engineering.

During the first project period, there were more than 120 proposals clearly indicating the interest in and need for such an infrastructure. Theoretical support for analysis of experimental data is provided to users by qualified ESMI scientists. ESMI has provided a complete toolbox for soft matter scientists leading to a significant increase in their productivity. In addition, during the first reporting period alone, the consortium organised seven schools and lab courses, as well as five meetings and conferences.

EMSI is making a significant contribution to research and technology development in the field of soft matter related to the nanosciences and to nanotechnology. Tools and training will no doubt have an important impact on the competitiveness of EU scientists and on the evolution of an entire sector of the economy.