Principal Investigator: Dr. habil. Vladimir Kuzovkov
Project duration in years: 4 (2013-2016)
Latvian Science Council Grant No.237/2012
Over the past decade, the concept, manifestation and applications of self-assembly phenomena continued to attract a lot of research attention due to its importance for multidisciplinary field including physics, chemistry, engineering, materials science and biology. This project is aimed at developing theory of self-organization in condensed matter (e.g. nanoparticles, large organic and biomolecules) at the nanoscopic scale with many applications in catalysis, nano-electronics, polymer physics, supramolecular chemistry. Novel advanced analytical methods and computer modelling are combined for characterization self-assembling phenomena and explanation numerous experimental data from the area of dynamic self-assembling. Dynamic self-assembling systems could provide the basis for adaptive, self-replicating, or self-healing advanced materials of the future. The goals of the group are:
(i) to construct accurate, predictive models of the self-assembling physical systems, with focus on their energetics and structures. We will investigate their stability patterns and the fundamental behaviors far-from-equilibrium.
(ii) to combine the theory of such systems with nanotechnology, to characterize and understand in quantitative detail fundamentally new classes of materials that are able to change and optimize their own performance (in catalytic activity, energy transformation, etc.).