The SYMONE long-term vision is to build multi-scale bio-/neuro-inspired systems interfacing/connecting molecular-scale devices to macroscopic systems for unconventional information processing with scalable neuromorphic architectures. The SYMONE computational substrate is a memristive/synaptic network controlled by a multi-terminal structure of input/output ports and internal gates embedded in a classical digital CMOS environment. The SYMONE goal is the exploration of a multiscale platform connecting molecular-scale devices into networks for the development and testing of synaptic devices and scalable neuromorphic architectures, and for investigating materials and components with new functionalities. The generic breakthrough concerns proof-of-concept of unconventional information processing involving flow of information via short-range interactions through a network of non-linear elements: switches, memristors/synapses. These will require several breakthroughs concerning the functionality of reasonably complex networks of simple components, and the fabrication of networks of devices, including self-assembly and multi-scale interfacing/contacting between such networks.

The aim of the proposed research is to construct and study new amphiphilic architectures built from the ferritin protein cage as a hydrophilic headgroup and a single synthetic polymer as the hydrophobic tail. These so-called giant amphiphiles have been prepared before in the host group using single enzymes as the headgroup. However, the use of an intact protein cage is novel and no such structures have been reported in the literature. The aimed biohybrid polymer/protein architecture is even bigger than the giant amphiphiles studied so far, and the use of the ferritin cavity opens the way to introduce different functionalities (e.g. catalysts). Ferritin is particularly suited for this purpose as it is monodisperse and robust, and furthermore its demetallated analogue (apo-ferritin) can be used to encase a variety of inorganic potentially catalytic compounds, i.e. forming a self-assembling nanoreactor. The project consist of three work packages: 1) The first one will focus on the modification of the (apo-)ferritin with synthetic polymers. A single attachment point on the protein mantle will be introduced to which a polymer can be coupled or to use it as an initiator to grow a polymer from the nanometer sized bio-particle. 2) In work package 2 a detailed study of the self-assembling properties of the novel amphiphilic protein/polymer biohybrids will be carried out. The aggregation process will be studied by a variety of procedures such as spectroscopic studies, calorimetry, microscopy and scattering techniques. 3) In the final work package the potential application of the apo-ferritin protein cage as a nanoreactor will be investigated. Catalytic (inorganic) compounds can be introduced in this cavity, and assembling amphiphiles including different catalysts may eventually lead to a mimic of natural multi-enzyme systems. These complex architectures may be able to carry out a cascade of reactions in which the product of a reaction is the substrate for the next one.

The overarching aim of the proposed research is to advance the understanding and design of conjugated oligomeric materials with tunable optoelectronic properties, in particular materials based on oligo(aniline)s, for applications in the EU priority area of organic electronics. To underpin and support this innovation, key new routes to novel molecular architectures and nanostructures will be explored. The proposed research deals with the designed synthesis of a library of nanostructures based on star-like oligo(aniline)s from the Buchwald-Hartwig cross-coupling strategy and ionic self-assembly technique. Controlling the molecular architecture and acids dopants will allow for tuning of and controll over band gaps, physical dimensions and localized defects. This approach will lead to optimised nanostructured morphologies and ensure efficient charge separation and transport. As a result, enhanced mobility, sensitivity and selective interactions with external stimuli will offer smart nanomaterials for gas sensors. The project will open unexplored avenues in this priority area of organic electronics through its inter- and multidisciplinary approach, i.e., the proposed research will rely on modern synthetic organic chemistry, chemicophysical analyses of optoelectronic properties and structure relationships, self-assembly in the solid state, device fabrication and testing. It is expected that the outcomes of this proposed research will substantially impact across and beyond the mentioned range of disciplines. This project will therefore 1) aid in continuing to establish European excellence and competitiveness in the field of organic electronics, a priority research area in the European Research Area, and 2) is expected to accelerate the development of selective and tunable sensors, which will have major impact on ERA scientific communities, public health and EU security.

TEM-PLANT project focuses on the development and application of breakthrough processes to transform plant-derived hierarchical structures into templates for the exploitation of innovative biomedical devices with smart anisotropic performances and advanced biomechanical characteristics, designed for bone and ligament substitution. Natural bio-structures usually have properties superior to those of analogous synthetically manufactured materials with similar phase compositions. The remarkable biomechanical properties of bone and ligament tissues depend on their hierarchic structure which is an organized assembly of structural units at increasing size levels. In fact, these structures are highly organized from the molecular to nano-, micro- and macro-scales, always in a hierarchical manner, with intricate but extremely functional architectures able to constantly adapt to ever changing mechanical needs.The TEM-PLANT project primary addresses the nano-biotechnologies area and will push the current boundaries of the state-of-the-art in production of hierarchical structured biomaterials. By combining biology, chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology and production technologies, new and complex plant transformation processes will be investigated to copy smart hierarchical structures existing in nature and to develop breakthrough biomaterials that could open the door to a whole new generation of biomedical applications for which no effective solution exists to date. Starting from suitably selected vegetal raw material, ceramization processes based on pyrolysis will be applied to produce carbon templates, which will be either infiltrated by silicon to produce inert SiC ceramic structures or exchanged by electrophoresis deposition to produce bioresobable ceramics. For ligament yielding two processes will be developed: pH-controlled and electrophoresis- controlled fibration to generate fibrous collagenous cords with high tensile strength and wear-resistance.

Template-based deposition for the synthesis of nanowires and nanotubes is extensively reported for metals, alloys, and semiconductors. Properties and possible applications of such nanostructured materials were investigated to some extent; inclusive by parties cooperating in this project, but there is still a large need for an ample scientific study in order to support a future implementation in the European industry. This multidisciplinary project comprises research activities in electrochemistry, materials science, surface technology, film/nanostructures characterization, tribology, and corrosion science, and includes the electrodeposition, structural, mechanical, morphological characterization of deposits, corrosion and wear protection. The low cost electrodeposition of the following alloys is of interest in this project, namely alloys containing iron group metals, tungsten-containing iron group alloys, Mo-Ni alloys. Taking into account the large potential of such procedures for the electroforming of nanostructures and MEMS, the objective of this project is to intensify research activities to select and to improve existing procedures and plating bath formulations to deposit nanocrystalline films with a roughness equal or less than the roughness of the substrates. The films/coatings must posses pre-specified structural, mechanical, tribological, and chemical properties that are necessary to apply them in electroformed nanostructures such as nanowires/nanotubes, and in MEMS. Mapping of tribological, thermal, magnetic and corrosion behavior of films/coatings and nanowires/nanotubes, and MEMS will perform. The market potential of obtained results will analyze.

THREADMILL aims at enabling cross-disciplinary training and research at the interface between Supramolecular Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Physics, and Nanoscience. The overall goal is the generation of new knowledge underpinning the exploitation of supramolecular wires (namely conjugated polyrotaxanes) in the fabrication and investigation of prototypical systems, both at the level of single-molecule devices, and of large-area polymer applications (LEDs, PVDs, ultrafast photonic switches). The training and research objectives of THREADMILL are: 1 Supramolecular synthesis. Engineering of van der Waals, ionic, and p-p stacking interactions, leading to prototypes of multifunctional nanowires. Special emphasis on polyelectrolytic, conjugated polyrotaxanes. Synthetic and processing breakthroughs sought by combining Anderson synthetic chemistry expertise with that on ionic liquids of Mecerreyes. 2 Nanofabrication of electrodes nanostructures (metals and conductive plastics) 3 Self-organisation. self-assembly of hybrid metallic-supramolecular architectures. Scanning probes, XPS, and TOF-SIMS. 4 Applications I: single-molecule devices. Fabrication of organic nano-optoelectronic devices incorporating prototypes of supramolecular wires operating at surfaces. 5 Transport studies. Measurement of charge transport and mobility in organic semiconducting wires bonded between homogeneous/heterogeneous electrodes. A theory component will be provided by collaboration with an independent, ongoing project at UCL. Details and a letter of support will be provided if invited to submit a full proposal. 6 Ultrafast spectroscopy. evaluation of the TMWs potential for ultrafast switches. General photophysical characterisation of ultrafast processes. 7 Applications II: large area devices. optoelectronic devices incorporating large ensembles of the supramolecular wires. Target applications: LEDs and photovoltaic diodes. 8 Dissemination and strategic development.

The functionally controllable molecules that are activated upon irradiation, have received a significant attention as nano-scale delivery tools in biomedical applications. Among these, photolabile caged therapeutic molecules are chemically blocked species which can be liberated in their active form by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. By precise tuning of UV source, the use of these photosensitive probes becomes a unique tool to treat a selected biological target spatially and temporally. This technique has been successfully employed in a variety of biological studies; however, it is mostly limited to in vitro applications. The restriction is mainly due to the destructive effects of UV light which has shallow tissue penetration with strong absorption. Quite the contrary, near-infrared (NIR) radiation is known to have deep tissue penetration with minimum absorption. This outstanding property of NIR, with the aid of strong NIR absorbers, can be utilized to trigger a mechanism in cells for therapeutic and diagnostic (theragnostic) purposes. Among other metal nanoparticles that have been extensively studied for such purposes, gold nanoparticles, such as hollow gold nanostructures (HGNs), emerge as ideal tools for these applications since they possess optical tunability, easy functionalization, inertness, non-toxic behavior, accumulation in tissues, and intense absorption of NIR light. During the NIR absorption process, the absorbed energy by HGNs will be transferred into thermal energy that consequently heats the surroundings. This NIR mediated heating process can be employed for thermal cleavage of chemical bonds within the molecules, so called 'thermolabile caged compounds'. This project proposes a novel design and synthesis of NIR driven thermolabile caged molecules as a nano-scale delivery tool, and their self-assembly on HGNs for targeted therapy and optical imaging applications.

The aim of this project is to make significant improvements to thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems used for gas turbine applications by introducing a number of key innovations.TBC's consist of an oxidation resistant (Co,Ni)CrAlY bond coat and a insulating yttria-stabilized zirconia top coat. The top coat is deposited by air plasma-spraying (APS) or by electron-beam physical vapour deposition (EB-PVD). The use of the much more expensive EB-PVD process has been due largely to the columnar structure of the coatings resulting in improved strain tolerance and improved reliability. The in-service life of these coatings is now around 8000 hours. Conventional APS coatings are deposited onto a random, rough grit blasted surface. A new method which produces a controlled, 3D surface morphology will be used to both improve bonding and, crucially, enable control of the TBC microstructure. In particular providing a much higher segmentation crack density. Most failures in TBC systems occur at the interface between the topcoat and the bond coat. Interfacial adhesion will be improved by the introduction of nano-crystalline inter-layers. Finally, new processes for the deposition of the TBC will be studied. These include; thin film - LPPS, plasma enhanced CVD, nano-phase suspension PS and high speed PVD. Unlike EB-PVD, they will enable advanced TBC materials such as alumina based to be used. The project aims to provide significant improvements to TBC systems using a number of innovative steps. It is expected that this work will not only extend the life of conventional TBC's but also provide the breakthrough necessary to achieve 'next generation' TBC systems.Maintaining a lead in gas turbine technology is strategically important for Europe. The participation of all the key European companies in this sector not only underscores the importance of this project but also ensures that the results will have the widest possible impact and benefit.

TRANSNADE is designated for the study of the transport properties of nanoscale assemblies and devices fabricated from polymers and polyelectrolytes, such as polyelectrolyte multilayers, polyelectrolyte brushes, polymer micelles, and polymersomes. Transport properties are fundamental for the rational design of delivery devices since the mechanism of transport will finally define release properties. For most of the mentioned nanodevices, transport properties are adjusted in an empirical way. A deeper understanding of the underlying principles and mechanisms of transport of matter is highly desirable. Polymer nanoassemblies in aqueous environments are heterogeneous and at least partly random systems. A complex scenario of interactions for the diffusing species with the nanomaterial can be expected resulting in unusual transport properties. Measuring transport properties at the nanoscale requires novel experimental and theoretical approaches. A multidisciplinary approach is needed, ranging from synthesis, self assembly, to physical chemistry and theoretical physics. TRANSNADE is formed by an international team with the required and complementary expertise. The expertise of Prof. Gao, from Zhejian University , in synthetic chemistry and self assembly together with the expertise of Dr. Moya, from CIC biomaGUNE, in materials science will be paramount for the creation of polymer with specific functions to be integrated on devices and assemblies. Prof. Donath from the University of Leipzig will develop a novel reaction-diffusion approach for diffusion measurements in nanoassemblies. Electrochemical measurements of transport will be performed by Dr.O.Azzaroni, from INIFTA and Dr.Moya will focus on solvent transport by designing an optical setup combined with QCM. Prof.V.Arakelyan from the Yerevan State University and Prof. Donath will join together their expertise in theoretical and soft matter physics to model experimental data and establish a mechanism for transport.