Gordon Research Conference on Supramolecular Chemistry, June 19-24, 2011; II Ciocco Italy

Regents Of The University Of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Abstract

Kotov, Nicholas A. CBET - 1138757 This project supports the organization of a one-of-a-kind conference on "Supramolecular Chemistry and Chemical Engineering", co-sponsored by Gordon Research Conference fund, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Nico Technologies Corporation, American Chemical Society, and Firmenich, SA to be held on June 19-24, 2011 in Il Ciocco Italy. The funds requested in this project will be used to partially cover the registration fee and travel expenses of scientists and engineers at all levels of careers from graduate students and post-doctoral researchers to assistant, associate professors. Special emphasis is given to the young generation of scientists and engineers. The conference aims at finding new methods of nanoscale engineering of materials, devices, and processes. The conference will assemble top-notch scientists and engineers with many different areas of expertise to look into the problem of how to utilize the phenomena of self-organization for energy efficient manufacturing processes. The participants will attempt to apply classical approaches of thermodynamics and other classical disciplines to the following self-structuring solids: carbon, polymer, metal, semiconductor, and hybrid nanostructures. A large portion of the meeting will be devoted to the use of self-assembly for catalysis and solar energy conversion as well as interfacial and transport phenomena governing catalytic and energy conversion processes. Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of the proposal is the vision of self-organization as the foundation of new types of chemical processes in industry. The conference will utilize collective properties and nano/micro/polymer interfaces and particles. Besides the fact that such a transition leads to inherently more energy efficient manufacturing, it will also create a fundamentally new relation between biological and non-biological processes that can potentially open the door to a new branch of chemical engineering. This conference for the first time will attempt to formulate the unified approach to different self-organization processes at different scales. Broader Impact: The broader impact of the meeting will encompass new collaborative activities between the top-notch scientists of the USA and other countries. It will also allow the young researchers to become more integrated in the larger scientific and engineering community and to find their pathway to success. From the educational perspective, the meeting will provide an energetic and stimulating environment for students. They will be introduced to the toughest problems of modern materials science, which require out-of-the-box solutions. The educational impact of the proposal will be enhanced by the possibility for students to interact with both academic and industrial researchers. Integration of underrepresented groups to the fabric of the conference was given special attention.