Abstract:
Active matter, matter with self-propelling constituents, has recently sparked the interest of the soft matter scientific community. Active components may be biological i.e. bacteria, or even chemically driven particles. The ability of active matter to provide energy through motion at a microscopic level, produces interesting phenomena, such as effective interactions, swarming, internally generated flows and activity induced phase transitions. Here, we examine various aspects of model active matter systems, ranging from hydrodynamically induced synchronization, active transport effects and complex interactions between active and non-active components.
Time:
16:10
Location:
3rd Floor Seminar Room (Physics building)
Description:
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Speaker: Dr. E. Glynos
Affiliation: FORTH/IESL
Title: Designing Materials at the Macromolecular Level: From Controlling the Polymer Behavior at
Surfaces and Interfaces to High Performance Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Energy Storage
Abstract:
The macroscopic properties of a polymer material are intimately related and are encrypted to its macromolecular structure. By adjusting the chemical structures of the constituent monomers, the molecular weight, and the linear or non-linear/branched architecture of the polymers, it is possible to formulate materials with an amazing variety of physical properties. To this end, advances in polymer chemistry have led to the synthesis of a wide range of well-defined non-linear polymers with controlled architectures (stars-shaped, H-shaped, pom-pom, ring, comb), compositions, and degree of polymerization, have provided material scientists the ability to design materials with desired/on-demand properties that meet the requirements of specific applications.
In the first part, I will provide evidence that several macroscopic properties of polymeric material, where polymer-interface interactions play a significant role, may be readily controlled simply by changing the macromolecular architecture and without changing the monomer or the interface chemistry. In particular, I will show that the equilibrium contact angles of macroscopic droplets of star-shaped polystyrene (SPS) molecules on oxidized silicon substrates, may be as much as one order of magnitude smaller than that of their linear analogues (linear polystyrene, LPS) on the same substrates. I will show how the aforementioned enhanced interfacial properties of star-shaped polymer are manifested on the vitrification behavior of supported polymer films and on the mechanical properties of polymer nanocomposite materials.
In the second part, I will introduce the use of polymer nanostructured nanoparticles of asymmetric mikto-arm copolymers, in which stiff insulating arms complement ion-conducting arms, as additives to liquid electrolytes for the synthesis of solid polymer electrolytes that exhibit an unprecedented combination of high modulus (G' ~ 0.1 GPa) and ionic-conductivity at room temperature (σ ~ 10-4 S/cm), necessary for practical applications. I will demonstrate that the final/desired morphology and phase dimension of the nanostructured solid-polymer electrolytes may be precisely controlled as the final morphology is encrypted within the macromolecular characteristics and the chemical composition of the "nanoparticles". Our strategy offers tremendous potential for the design of all-polymer nanostructured materials with optimized mechanical properties and ionic conductivity over a wide temperature window for advanced lithium battery technology.
For forthcoming colloquia, please visit:
http://www.materials.uoc.gr/en/colloquia
Abstract:
The emergence of Organic Electronics during the last 20 years brought forward the unprecedented properties that polymers can offer in electronic devices. Polymers find applications in cutting-edge technologies, such as energy harvesting devices, sensors and actuators, light emitting diodes and many others. All these devices benefit from the functionalities bared by polymers, combined with their flexibility, ease of processing and low price. These merits make polymers particularly interesting in view of the forthcoming era of the Internet of Things. In this talk I will highlight the critical role of the nanostructure of polymeric active layers in the performance of the electronic devices that integrate them. The studies that will be presented are focused on three energy-related applications, namely, polymer photovoltaics, thermoelectrics and piezoelectric nanogenerators, and provide an overview of my research activities during the last 7 years.
For forthcoming colloquia, please visit:
http://www.materials.uoc.gr/en/colloquia
Time:
12:00 - 15:00
Location:
“Seminar Room 1”, FORTH’s bldg
Description:
PROTEOMICS Seminar
Dear friends and colleagues,
On Tuesday 23rd of May, in “Seminar Room 1”, FORTH’s bldg we are
organizing with Interlab and BioRad a seminar on Proteomics presented
by Dr Moustafa Khalf, Field Application Scientist | Proteomics |
Bio-Rad Laboratories.
Please find attached the agenda of the seminar.
We will be grateful if you could forward this e-mail to whoever it may
concerns.
George KOLLIAS
Professor of Physiology, Medical School, University of Athens
President and Director, Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
Title: "Mesenchymal causalities in inflammation and cancer"
Thursday, June 1st 2017 @ 14:00
Main Amphitheater “G. Lianis”, FORTH’s bldg
Host: N. Tavernarakis
Time:
12:00 - 13:00
Location:
“Seminar Room 1”, FORTH’s bldg
Description:
IMBB JOINT COLLOQUIA
Speaker 1: Zouzana KOUNOUPA (Karagogeos Lab)
Title: "Rac1 and Rac3 influence the migratory behaviour of cortical GABAergic Interneurons".
Speaker 2: Katerina KALEMAKI (Karagogeos Lab)
Title: "The contribution of developmental inhibitory changes in prefrontal cortex circuit"