Materials Research
The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials (ZIAM) is a recognized top research institute. Its research is driven by the desire to understand, control, and exploit how the material world works at the microscopic level. This is the realm of nanoscience and nanotechnology. In this field, the Zernike Institute covers the whole chain from synthesizing materials, building devices, characterizing materials and devices, and investigating the theoretical foundation of their properties. The Zernike Institute has embraced interdisciplinary research since 1970. Its goal is to encourage excellent collaborative materials research with expertise from physics, chemistry and bioengineering/biophysics, while respecting and stimulating the expertise and high quality of the individual groups. This setup allows fostering young, talented researchers in a multidisciplinary research environment, leading to groundbreaking discoveries with relevance to society.
Overarching research topics strongly routed in the Faculty of Science and Engineering's Theme "Advanced Materials" :
[1] Green chemistry & sustainable materials, with strong links to innovative polymer research.
[2] Physics of Life, in particular (bio)physics of cancer as well as microscopy, spectroscopy and modeling from the single-molecule to single-cell scale.
[3] Energy materials, in particular research on solar cells with novel materials, battery research and thermo-electrics research.
[4] Materials for health and from nature; self-assembly in biology, bio-inspired smart materials, novel adhesives and anti-microbial materials.
[5] Emergent electromagnetic & optical functionalities, in particular research on stacks of 2D materials, skyrmions, and spintronics in new material systems.
[6] Out of equilibrium chemical systems, with a link to studies of the fundamental principles of life.
[7] Cognitive Systems & Materials, in particular the CogniGron research program.
[8] Advanced materials characterization; determination of atomic underpinnings of materials properties; structural analysis; novel tools and instrumentation.
Contact
Prof.dr.ir. Caspar H. van der Wal
Scientific Director
c.h.van.der.wal@rug.nl
Dr. Jan Peter Birkner
Research Manager
j.p.birkner@rug.nl
