Brief Summary of MNS-Cluster's Focus

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This strategic cluster deals with the development of new materials and chemicals in the nanometer sized regime, exhibiting pre-designed physical and chemical characteristics. It is divided into three focus areas exploring concepts from molecular level to the tens of nanometer scale in the fields of nano solid state materials, petrochemicals and polymers. Research on these aspects can, and will have different impacts on society, and although the overarching focus is natural scientific, it will continuously address relevant environmental, social, ethical and judicial issues to be influenced by and which can benefit from the activities. It will therefore include contributions from all these disciplines to enable a truly inter-disciplinary cluster.

Research within the first focus area of nano solid state materials includes the development of luminescent nano-materials that will improve the quality of life and add to high technology development, such as solid state lighting. This promises to replace conventional light sources with impressive economic and environmental savings. Nano-technology, pervasive in many applications and includes light emitting diodes, EL devices, nano-catalysts, sensor technology and bio medical probes etc. will thus be explored.

The second focus area of petrochemicals includes thrusts in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, which converts basic building blocks of the sub-/ lower-nanoscale size into value added downstream nanochemicals, relevant to the synthetic petrochemical industry. Catalysis is a vast and integrated part in many chemical conversions, and dramatically increases the rate of formation (of new compounds/ solvents/ detergents/ materials) as well as selectivity (specific characteristics) of tailor-made products.  It requires clean operating systems from the onset from both economic and environmental considerations since the process is more effective, to yield pure products with higher yields and minimising waste. It thus includes research which ensures minimum environmental impact in the pursuit of ‘green Chemistry’.

The research within the third focus area of polymers investigates new materials designed and obtained from the blending different polymeric and composite materials and the mixing with a variety of fillers (especially natural fibres) in the absence or presence of modifiers. It will also explore the inclusion of nano-sized particles into different matrices, modifying the morphology and physical properties of the polymers and composite materials.