Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) films are expected to possess the superior properties of diamond combined with smooth surfaces anda low stress. The scientific objectives of the project include the investigation of the deposition, characterization and technological applications of NCD/a-C composite films. The films composed of NCD (with grain sizes up to 10 nm) dispersed in an amorphous carbon matrix (a-C) will be prepared by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MWCVD) and will be optimized concerning not only the crystallite size but also the nature of the matrix and especially regarding the combined effect of both components of the composite on the film properties for advanced applications. The obtained layers will be thoroughly investigated with respect to their basic (crystallite size, morphology, bonding structure of the matrix, composition of the matrix) and application relevant (deposition area, homogeneity, hardness, friction coefficient, stress, biocompatibility, etc.) properties. The possible applications of NCD/a-C films as wear resistant coatings for biomedical purposes and as a new material with extreme properties in micro-an nanostructure technology (for MEMS, AFM tips, membranes ) will be evaluated. The training objetives of the proposal are closely related to the scientific ones and include gaining of knowledge for new deposition techniques, appropriate for preparation of advanded materials, for new analytical techniques, as a part of th e extensive characterization necessary for the thourough investigation of the materials and for testing of the functionalities of the materials with the application of multidisciplinary approaches, e.g. microtechnology, biological and chemical methods.

With the advent of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), there is considerable potential for so-calledbio-MEMS devices - microsystems for the automated analysis and continuous processing of biological samples.Bio-chips, Lab-on-a-chip, m-Total Analysis Systems and Bio-sensors are some of the terms used todescribe bio-MEMS devices, and m-TAS is the term which is used throughout this proposal. The applications of m-TAS cover a broad range: point-of-care diagnostics, pharmacogenomics, high-throughput drug discovery,forensics, food-safety, plant genomics, agriculture and military applications. m-TAS offer two key advantagesover existing macro-scale technologies: scale - large sample volumes of biofluids are not required; and speed - very high throughput can be achieved, with continuously-flowing, massively-parallel device. The StokesResearch Institute (SRI) located at the University of Limerick (UL), Ireland is currently active in micro TotalAnalysis System (m-TAS) research. A barrier to the present m-TAS research stream is a lack of knowledge regarding the compatibility of bio-fluidicsamples with micro-device materials. Such specialist knowledge is vital in terms of the propagation of thevarious reactions which must take place in a m-TAS device, impacting on efficiency, and on contamination,impacting on usability and dependability.MicroSurfTAS, a Marie Curie Host Fellowship for the Transfer of Knowledge is therefore proposed to impartknowledge centred on bio-fluid and surface interaction. The Fellowship will fund one more experiencedresearcher to advance surface fluid compatibility knowledge, and two experienced researchers to address samplecontamination issues.The outcome of the Host Fellowship will be the acquisition by the SRI of materials biocompatibility andcontamination expertise related to micro-systems for the processing of DNA.

This research project is devoted to the synthesis of new nanometer-sized entities. There is currently great interest in the synthesis of inorganic materials of nanometric dimensions. The small size of these particles endows them with unusual and novel electronic, optical, magnetic and chemical properties due to their extremely small dimensions. Nano-objects are at the heart of the problem of the miniaturisation of information storage. A simple extrapolation of the present trend in miniaturisation of electronic devices is predicted to arrive at the molecular or atomic level in a few decades!!. Actually, to obtain new perfectly defined (size and morphology) nanometer-sized systems to allow passage from the "mieras" to "nano" there are mainly two approaches: 1- the "bottom-up" approach, which employs the self-assembly of basic components to form molecular components of nanometer size. 2- the "top-down" approach, which involve mechanical degradation of an oxide or metal or physical methods. The fundamental problem to resolve, if we want to use these materials inside a device, is to make the necessary connection between the nanometric entity (molecular) and the macroscopic world, i.e. to get the identical particles to self-assemble in a manner in which they can be macroscopically manipulated. The challenge of this project is the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles (oxides and cyano-metallate-based coordination polymers) encapsulated in macromolecular and diamagnetic systems with complete control of the size and morphology of the nanoparticles. Specifically, one of the goals of the project will be the synthesis of nanoparticles (Prussian Blue derivatives) inside the apoferritin protein following one of the active research topic in the host institution. We will also use macromolecules as dendrimers or giant polyoxometallates as a template for the synthesis of maghemite, magnetite nanoparticles.

Novel microtubule-stabilising agents have great potential as cancer chemotherapeutic agents - where there is a need for improved pharmacological profiles, reduced side-effects, and efficacy against otherwise drug-resistant cancers. The 16-membered macrolide peloruside A is a potent inhibitor of cancer cell proliferation at the nanomolar level. By sharing the same microtubule-stabilising mechanism as Taxol and retaining activity against multidrug-resistant cancer cells, peloruside A represents a potential new chemotherapeutic agent to the treatment of solid tumours. Due to the supply shortage from the sponge source, chemical total synthesis is essential for generating useful quantities of peloruside A to enable its preclinical development. The primary objective of the proposed project is to develop a flexible and stereocontrolled synthesis of peloruside A, using methodology developed in the host group, in order to provide material for further biological evaluation. A secondary objective is the synthesis of simplified structural analogues, including hybrids with the epothilones, which would then be tested for tubulin binding and cytotoxicity to determine the essential structural characteristics for bioactivity.The applicant will improve her research training and expand her knowledge and experience in the synthesis of biologically active molecules that may have therapeutic potential. Not only will there be opportunities to learn and develop new synthetic methodologies, but also to participate in multidisciplinary research at the interface of chemistry, biology and medicine. The Chemistry Department of Cambridge University is a world renowned institution and the host scientist has exceptional experience in total synthesis and the development of new synthetic methods. The training/mobility period will provide a good synergy with the applicant and apos;s predoctoraltraining and offers an excellent research infrastructure.

Recent developments of chemical and biological sensors require semi-conducting (conjugated) polymers preferably processible from environmental-friendly solvents like alcohols and with an affinity towards the physiological medium of the analyte (water). The objective of the project is to develop at IMEC, through transfer of knowledge, competences and know-how in the synthesis of ionic conjugated polymers (ICPs): amphiphilic and polyelectrolytes. ICPs feature ionic or polar side groups, which render the materials soluble in water and/or alcohols, and possess an intrinsic tendency to organize into supramolecular architectures in solution and in solid state, which make them promising candidates as a platform for the development of chemo- and biosensors. The new semi-conducting polymers will be designed in order to achieve a control of the nanoscale morphology and will be based on poly(p-phenylene vinylene) derivatives (PPVs) substituted with ionic or polar side chains.They will be synthesised using the 'precursor sulphinyl route' developed at IMEC for the synthesis of 'classical' PPVs. Monomer synthesis and polymerisation methods will be developed and optimised for environmental-friendly solvents. These new materials will be evaluated in various device structures as Light Emitting Devices (PLED), organic transistors, organic photovoltaics and in chemical and biological sensors. This will result in a thorough characterisation of the electrical properties of the ICPs under study. To reach that goal two types of expertises will be required over two years: 36 person-months of organic and polymer chemists preferably with a background in conjugated polyelectrolytes and/or amphiphilic polymers, and 18 person-months of an electronic engineer or material physicist with abackground in organic semi-conductors. In Europe the efforts put in this new field are promising but still significant lower compared to what is done in the United States and Japan.

This project aims to encourage and facilitate the participation of Small and Medium Sized (SMEs) companies

from the candidate countries in FP6, in particular in the nanotecnologies and nanomaterial fields, through the

provision of in-depth technological intelligence and innovation assistance services.

In order to accomplish this mission, the project partners, which come from nine EU and candidate countries (CZ,

DE, ES, FR, HU, LU, PL, RO, SK), will support SMEs with the following actions:

• Raise awareness on EU funding opportunities and promote R&D cooperation.

• Gather information on relevant Integrated Projects (IP) and Networks of Excellence (NoE) already being

developed, as well as on FP5 project results. Provide assistance and intermediation services to the

coordinators of these Integrated projects (IP) and Networks of excellence (NoE) in order to promote the

incorporation of additional SMEs as technology providers or end users. In total, 60 companies are

expected to be incorporated in ongoing projects of IP and NoE, and follow up activities of the selected

successful 5th FP RTD projects, facilitating the creation of new groupings with the existent partners.

• Perform 100 company technology audits in order to identify needs, current capabilities, best practices

and future developments needs.

• Support SMEs to put eligible and successful proposals together. Support the submission of 22 EC RTD

proposals, amongst cooperative research projects (CRAFT), collective research projects and specific

targeted research projects (STREP).

• Provide 200 SMEs with technological intelligence services in the nanotechnology and nanomaterial

fields.

• Dissemination to 500 SMEs of good practices and of innovative research results to sectors of potential

application. The sectors where the NANOMAT project will concentrate are the automotive, electronics

and health sectors.

• Tailor-made training to 300 SMEs in economic and te

NANOCMOS is a project integrating in a coherent structure, activities that in the past have been the object of ESPRIT/IST, JESSI/MEDEA projects in the field of CMOS technologies. It focuses on the RTD activities necessary to develop the 45nm, 32nm and below CMOS technologies. From these technology nodes it will be mandatory to introduce revolutionary changes in the materials, process modules, device and metallisation architectures and all related characterization, test, modelling and simulation technologies, to keep the scaling trends viable and make all future IST applications possible. NANOCMOS covers all these aspects. The project include as well important Training and Dissemination activities. A professional Management structure will be implemented. The first objective of the project is the demonstration of feasibility of Front-End and Back-End process modules of the 45nm node CMOS logic technology. The project intents to process as demonstrator a very aggressive SRAM chip displaying worldwide best characteristics. This objective will be achieved within two years from project start. The second objective of the project is to realize exploratory research on critical issues of the materials, devices, interconnect and related characterization and modelling to start preparing the 32/22 nodes considered to be within the limits of the CMOS technologies. The third objective of the project is to prepare the take up of results described in the Objective I and implement a 45nm Full Logic CMOS Process Integration in 300 mm wafers by the end of 2007. This integration will be part of a separate MEDEA+ project. NANOCMOS initial Consortium gathers most of best competences existing in Europe in the domain. It is expected to incorporate new partners, to fulfil already identified tasks. NANOCMOS places Europe on a privileged position in the competition to develop the enabling technologies of the 2010 e-Society.

Organic solar cells promise a strong cost reduction of photovoltaics (PV) if fast improvements of the power efficiency and the lifetime can be achieved. There are still some crucial obstacles to overcome before a large-scale production of plastic solar cells can be considered. The latter is the clear aim of all industrial partners here involved. The feasibility of this approach will be proven with a new generation of organic PV having better efficiency ( 5% on 1cm2 glass substrate and 4% on 1cm2 flexible substrate), longer lifetime and a production cost far below those of competing technologies based on silicon. To reach this goal, the following questions will be worked out in parallel: 1. Design and synthesis of new materials to overcome the large mismatch between the currently available polymer materials absorption characteristics and the solar emission spectrum and also to improve the mediocre charge transport properties. 2. Development of two device concepts to improve efficiencies: all-organic solar cells and nanocrystal/organic hybrid solar cells : All-organic solar cells will be based on donor-acceptor bulk heterojunction built by blending of two organic materials serving as electron donor (hole semiconductor, low band gap polymers) and electron acceptor under the form of an homogeneous blend and sandwiching the organic matrix between two electrodes. One of these electrodes is transparent and the other is usually an opaque metal electrode. Two concepts will be developed to improve efficiencies: a) an innovative junction concept based on the orientation of polar molecules and b) a multi-junction bulk donor-acceptor heterojunction concept.Nanocrystal/organic hybrid solar cells will be based upon solid-state heterojunctions between nanocrystalline metal oxides and molecular/polymeric hole conductors. Two strategies will be addressed for light absorption: the sensitisation with molecular dyes and the use of absorbing polymeric hole conductors.

The primary objective of NANOROADMAP (NNRM) is to produce roadmaps for the application of nanotechnology in three industrial fields (materials, health and medical systems and energy) that will cover the next ten years. The project, in complete agreement with the priorities set for FP6, will proceed along a path that will be time and cost effective. In the first 8 months NNRM will collect all the documentation relevant for the preparation of a road map that has been published on nanotechnology in the last few years to distils the general scenario to start with. From this scenario the Consortium will select within each of the three above said fields the most important (2- 4) themes 'golden' to focus on, together with 1-2 more themes, also of high interest, but of lesser importance 'silver'. The 'golden' themes will be investigated in great detail with extensive face-to-face communication through working groups, Delphi panels, conferences and (web-enabled) fora. For the 'silver' themes, on the contrary, a fully web-integrated roadmapping methodology and tool-set will be used. This methodology, though somehow less thorough, is quite more cost-effective and therefore by combining the two approaches NNRM will deliver a road map that cover not only the main themes, but also those of second level, at a reduced cost. In total 12 applications will be investigated. The assessment will focus on drivers of change, scientific and technical challenges and barriers, market demands and funding needs, R&D strategies, infrastructures relevant for research and application of nanotechnologies, social and ethical issues. Dissemination, discussion and feedback of the results is a crucial part of the project. This will be done capillary by all the partners. With specific web sites, distribution of documents, articles and release in the press, direct contacts and, in particular, with the organisation of 2 International Symposia and 8 National Conference.

Recent developments in conducting conjugated organic polymers and semiconductor nanorods (CdSe, CdTe, ZnO, TiO2) have led to the development of hybrid organic/inorganic solar cells. These cells offer the possibility of spin on deposition and low cost fabrication not possible with current silicon based cells. However, the power conversion efficiencies for the hybrid cells are reduced compared to conventional systems. Increased efficiency can only be achieved by controlling the alignment and aspect ratios of the nanorods in the organic polymer matrix. In this project, I propose to use the ordered hexagonal pore structure of mesoporous thin films (honeycomb silica structure with aligned pores 2-10 nm in diameter deposited on a substrate) to template semiconductor nanorod growth. Replacing the silica pore walls with a conductive polymer matrix by selective etch and deposition will leave a hybrid organic inorganic composite with unidirectional aligned nanorods. Additionally, pore engineering of the mesoporous films will allow aspect ration control over the included nanorods. Varying the radius of the rods can introduce a quantum confinement effect to control the band gap allowing maximum adsorption of light if the enegy difference of the band gap can be tuned to important light adsorbing wavelengths. Dimensional control over the nanorods in the matrix will both reduce charge recombination and increase charge mobility leading to significant increases in power conversion efficiency.