About CHEMOBRIONICS
Self-organizing precipitation processes, such as chemical gardens forming biomimetic micro- and nano-tubular forms, have the potential to drastically enhance future materials design, as well as allowing us to develop new methodologies to explore, quantify and understand non-equilibrium chemical systems, and might even shed light on the conditions for the origin of life. The physics and chemistry of these phenomena due to the assembly of material architectures under a flux of ions, and their exploitation in applications, has recently been termed chemobrionics. Advances in chemobrionics require a combination of expertise in physics, chemistry, mathematical modelling, biology and engineering, as well as in nonlinear and materials sciences, giving rise to a new synergistic disipline. Progress is currently limited due to the lack of an efficient combination of the talents of researchers from diverse fields, but Europe is uniquely placed to develop a unique and world leading activity.
The aim of this CBrio Cost action is to link research groups throughout Europe to stimulate new, innovative and high-impact interdisciplinary scientific research on chemobrionics. Our objective is to build bridges between the various communities to allow understanding and controlling physical, chemical, and biological properties of self-organized precipitation processes. This integrated fundamental knowledge will be shared with research groups focusing on specific applications to boost new technological developments, as well as with groups involved in the popularization of science and those at the interface between science and the arts.
Images source:
https://www.stephanequerbes.com/portfolio/science/
(with courtesy of Stéphane QUERBES)
"A water [solution] into which when any metal is put, it begins to grow within twenty four hours time in the form of plants and trees, each metal according to its inmost colour and property, which metalline vegetations are called philosophical trees, both pleasant to the eye and of good use.”
Johann Glauber, Furni Novi Philosophici, 1646
Our Mission
The aim of this COST Action is to link research groups throughout Europe and beyond to stimulate new, innovative and high-impact interdisciplinary scientific research on chemobrionics. The objective is to build bridges between the various communities to allow understanding and controlling physical, chemical, and biological properties of self-organized complex precipitation processes. This integrated fundamental knowledge will be shared with research groups focusing on specific applications, as well as with groups involved in the popularization of science and those at the interface between science and the arts.
Our Objectives
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To understand the relationship between the experimental conditions and morphology of these structures formed out of equilibrium.
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To combine different instrumental and analytical techniques to characterize these structures in terms of the chemical compositions and the gradient of chemical compositions and crystallinity.
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To understand the fluid dynamics during the formation of chemical gardens and biomimetic nanomaterials.
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To understand the interactions between metallic oxide-hydroxide layers in the formation of tubular forms at the atomic scale.
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To understand the thermodynamics in the interactions of the internal surfaces of these materials with water and organic molecules.
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To construct a protocol for flow-controlled synthesis of a given solid material.
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To explore the role of chemobrionics for the emergence of life at hydrothermal vents.
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To promote dissemination and science-art crossover activities related to chemical gardens.
