The conference topics are as follow :
Focused sessions:
Multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces
Composite and Hybrid materials
Optically Engineered Surfaces – Manufacturing of 3D nanostructured optics (H2020 project PHENOMENON)
Smart materials, Micro/ Nano systems
Ionic Liquid-based Materials
Smart sensors
Bioinspired and Biomimetic Materials
Novel materials for drug and gene delivery
Magnetism and Magnetic materials
Smart Textiles, Wearables & Internet of Things
Focused Session on Multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces
Chairs:
Keynote speakers
Description: This focused session will present the recent research progress of the smart and functional coatings/films, including novel fabrication process, special microstructure control, and resulted unique properties. It will address the latest development in coatings design, synthesis, characterization, and the different applications. It will bring together researchers working in the new and exciting area of smart film materials and surface issues, which include the following topics (but not limited to):
Focused session on Composite and Hybrid materials
Keynote speakers:
Description: The aim of the research in Advanced composite materials field is the development of materials with superior thermo mechanical, physical and chemical properties. The combination of different types of materials can lead to a great variety of composites, basically distinguished mainly by their constitution. Also, Organic-inorganic materials called hybrid materials have steadily grown during the past 20 years, as a result of the ever-growing number of molecular precursors, both organic and inorganic, leading to a myriad of multifunctional materials with applications spreading from civil engineering through energy storage/generation, (bio-, electro-, photo-) catalysis, sensors, photonics, memory devices, to dentistry and medicine. Hybrid materials, containing two antagonist materials at the nano or molecular scale, show major properties or new synergetic characteristics compared with the two individual counterparts. There are numerous examples in nature where organic and inorganic materials are combined to generate hybrid materials with robust properties. Other than the amplification of materials performance, hybridization of two different materials sometime adds new synergetic characteristics or functionalities.
This focused session on composite and Hybrid materials aims to provide a forum for researchers in Composite/hybrid materials community to discuss new advances in synthesis of these materials. We welcome contributions in any form. The studies on fundamental correlations of synthesis-interface-synergetic characteristics of Composite/hybrid materials are particular encouraged.
This Focused session includes a large scope of research based on composite and hybrid materials. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:
Focussed Session on optically Engineered Surfaces – Manufacturing of 3D nanostructured optics (H2020 project PHENOMENON)
Description: In the recent years there has been an explosion of exciting optical structures, based on 2D and 3D architectures at the micro and nanoscale with unique properties, which allow breaking the limits of conventional optics. The prospect of extraordinary imaging resolution, sensitivity of optical sensors, wavefront shaping and advanced light manipulation, together with the use of ultra-slim and ultra-light metaoptics, open the possibility for designing novel devices and applications in fields like displays, security, space, personalized medicine or datacom. The use of optical metasurfaces and optically engineered surfaces is still being harnessed at the theoretical and practical level, with new effects being identified in resonant dielectric metastructures, 2D materials, hybrid metal/nonmetal nanostructures, etc… Anyway, precise and cost-effective fabrication of such smart optical structures, and its up-scaling for industrial application, is still a big challenge.
While the capabilities of optical metasurfaces to break the boundaries of the current refractive optic design, its translation into practical application demand the development of adequate computation, simulation and design frameworks, models and tools, and new product design approaches.The session covers all the aspects from fundamentals to applications, in the leading edge of engineered optical surfaces, stressing 3D surfaces, nanostructured surfaces and metaoptics. The talks will range from the fundamentals of optical nanostructures, to modeling techniques, manufacturing technology, materials, product design and industrial applications.
The session topics are:
The session is promoted by the H2020 project PHENOMENON (Laser Manufacturing of 3D nanostructuring optics using Advanced Photochemistry, GA: 780278), coordinated by AIMEN and with the participation of THALES, CNRS, MPO, ICFO, FLUXIM, IMT-A, Flexenable, CDA, PSA, FNMT and DesignLED.
Focused session on Smart materials, Micro/ Nano systems
Keynote speakers:
Description: In the last few decades, micro and nano-scaled devices and systems have gained great attention in several applications, such as in the design of micro/nanoparticles, biosensors, and microdevices. As a multi- and interdisciplinary research field, micro- and nano systems make full use of electronics, optics, mechanics, chemistry, materials science, among others, to achieve high-performance devices and systems for biomedical, energy, environment and communications applications. Combined with the emerging artificial intelligence and cloud technologies, smart transducers based on micro- and nano systems technology become realistic; however, manufacturing these devices with enhanced efficiency and realizing associated systems have much room for innovation, adaptation, and cost reduction in various fields.
The goal of this focused session is to highlight the recent progresses on advanced micro- and nano systems as well as their intelligent manufacture with emphasis on applications in health care, environment, food industry and energy, electronics communications, among others. This session intends to cover, but is not limited to, the following topics:
Focused session on Liquid-based materials
Keynote speakers:
Description: Ionic liquids can be defined as materials that are composed of cations and anions which melt at a certain temperature without being decomposed. During the last 20 years, Ionic Liquids have blossomed as alternative materials to improve separation processes, offering a versatile and unique tuneable platform for the design of task-specific advanced membranes with a broad range of different chemical structures, physical/chemical properties, morphologies, and separation performances. The potential of using functional Ionic liquid-based materials has been widely exploited through diverse morphologies and membrane configurations for applications such as gas separation, fuel cells, and water purification.
Consequently, within the last two decades the application of Ionic liquids in many fields (e.g., electrochemistry, biological uses, engineering, analytics, catalysis, etc.) has grown exponentially. The facile functionalization and modification as well as the vast variety of cations and ions that can be combined to form an Ionic liquid make Ionic liquids a kind of valuable material to be used in catalysis as reaction media, catalyst stabilizers, and/or co-catalysts (e.g., biphasic systems, supported ionic liquid phase catalysts technology, supported ionic liquid layer technologies, etc.).
The topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
Focused session on Smart sensors
Chair: Prof. José Miguel López-Higuera, University of Cantabria, Spain
Keynote speakers
Description: Last decades have witnessed the rapid development of sensors and an increasing demand for smart sensors. They are based on smart materials, such as piezoceramics, fiber Bragg gratings, electrostrictive materials, etc. Recently, we also see an increasing number of smart sensors that are enabled by various nanotechnologies. These smart sensors and smart devices are often integrated with various structures to form so-called smart structures, which possess the ability to sense or/and to respond to environmental or structural changes in a pre-defined way. Networks of sensors will be able to enhance the ability to obtain huge amounts of information (big data) and improve precision, which also mirrors the developmental tendency of modern sensors. With the development of material, signal processing and multidisciplinary interactions, more and more smart sensors are proposed and fabricated under increasing demands for homes, industry and military fields. These sensors are also becoming an important part in areas such as agriculture, health monitoring, and even in natural disaster relief missions and smart sustainable cities.
This focused session aims to provide a platform for discussion of developments in Smart Sensors as well as their applications areas and invites authors to submit high-quality papers on topics which include, but are not limited to:
Focused session on Bioinspired and Biomimetic Materials
Keynote speakers:
Description: Throughout evolution, biological organisms have developed efficient strategies to solve technical problems by synthesizing appropriate natural materials. These materials often outperform man-made materials of similar composition. Bioinspired materials are synthetic materials whose structure, properties and function mimic those of natural materials or living matter. Bioinspired design concepts are becoming increasingly integrated into a wide range of materials and devices intended for the consumer, industrial, medical, military and energy sectors. Examples of bioinspired materials are light-harvesting photonic materials that mimic photosynthesis, camera lenses inspired by compound eyes of insects, etc
This focused session covers the whole spectrum of bioinspired and biomimetic materials with a particular emphasis placed on novel concepts and strategies to engineer bioinspired materials and surfaces, the performance and application of bioinspired devices in the fields of biomaterials, optics, energy and environmental technologies.
The session topics include, but are not limited to:concepts and strategies to fabricate bioinspired materials
Focused session on Novel materials for drug and gene delivery
Keynote speakers:
Description: Drug delivery is an inter-disciplinary research field that involves expertise from several area such as, the pharmaceutical, clinical, biological, chemical, and materials sciences. Nowadays, it is impossible to create modern drug delivery systems without multifunctional excipients that affect drug release, improve drug stability or enhance drug permeation and bioavailability in order to achieve the desired therapeutic outcome in the safest possible manner. Recently, searching for novel materials or modifying and combining existing materials has represented a tendency in pharmaceutical technology. The chemical or physical modification of either naturally-derived or synthetic materials/polymers can improve their characteristics and favourably affect the quality of the designed formulations. Hence, a great deal of emphasis is placed on the design and testing of new materials with application potential in pharmaceutical technology.
In this Focused session on “Novel Materials for Drug and Gene Delivery”, the opportunity will be given to the new developments in drug delivery systems, and how these are utilized for the treatment of various diseases, such as cancer, infectious, neurological, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases.
The topics of interest include:
Focused sessions on Magnetism and Magnetic materials
Keynote speakers:
Description:
Magnetic materials and the study of magnetism play a massive role in modern technology throughout all aspects and fields. Nowadays, the magnetism has once again become the forefront of modern nanotechnology and extensive research efforts in both theoretical and experimental communities have been devoted to investigate and understand the magnetic properties of nanoscale materials. There is almost no technology in daily life which does not use magnetism or magnetic devices. They range from the permanent magnet, though to computer storage, superconductors, sensors and actuators, to very special applications in optics, electronics, nuclear spin resonance imaging and calorimetrics. The understanding and characterization of magnetism in materials, such as structures, their transformations, excitations, and coupling are inherent to the development of novel materials and devices at the forefront of science and technology. This focused session will cover recent advances and future directions in the field of magnetism and magnetic materials.
The session topics include:
Focused session on Smart Textiles, Wearables & Internet of Things
Chairs/ Moderators:
Committee:
Keynote and invited speakers:
Description: smart textile material, can also be called an interactive textile, is a “functional textile material”, that can sense and react to environmental conditions or stimuli. They find applications in different research disciplines, especially in health and medical; materials science and engineering, electronics, automotive and aeronautic; personal protective equipment; sports and wearables; buildings and interior design. Moreover, smart textiles have a very promising role in science and technology nowadays because of their commercial viability and public interests. Recent research represents a new model for generating creative and novel solutions for integrating smart materials into unusual environments, requiring innovative developments and applications of smart fabric sensors, electronic textile technology, and wearable computing for detecting human physiological signals. All these innovations on Smart Textiles are assisting the textile industry in its transformation into a competitive knowledge (data) driven industry. Furthermore, combining smart wearable with the internet of things has a profound impact on research, development, and applications of wearable technology providing significant new challenges and multiple opportunities.
This focused session on Smart Textiles, Wearables & Internet of Things aims to promote this life-changing discipline by providing an overview on the state-of-art materials, concepts, models, and fabrications, in order to develop smart textiles.
Workshop Topics include:
Keywords : state of the art, smart textiles, e-textiles, sensors, IoT, textile design.