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Over ons Praktische zaken Waar vindt u ons N.H. (Nathalie) Katsonis, Prof

Research interests

Movement is a fundamental characteristic of living organisms. It facilitates survival, growth, and adaptation, allowing organisms to interact with their environment, seek for resources, and respond to changes.

The fundamental physical and molecular mechanisms by which molecules create such purposeful and functional motion, on all length scales of matter, remain mainly unknown.

Our research team seeks to identify the fundamental chemical and physical rules that induce microscopic movement in fluids, and shape changes in soft materials. 

Because purposeful movement is such a defining feature of life, our research contributes to the fundamental question of life's origins. In addition, the rules we define for artificial systems may provide strategies towards future unconventional materials, from shape-changing robots to swimming micromotors.  

 

Publicaties

Polar Self-Organization of Ferroelectric Nematic-Liquid-Crystal Molecules on Atomically Flat Au(111) Surface

Light-Responsive Springs from Electropatterned Liquid Crystal Polymer Networks

Macroscopic motion from synchronized molecular power strokes

Motility of microscopic swimmers as protocells

Light moves artificial cilia to a complex beat

Molecular photoswitches in liquid crystals

Motile behaviour of droplets in lipid systems

Run-and-halt motility of droplets in response to light

Acceleration of lipid reproduction by emergence of microscopic motion

Light-Fueled Nanoscale Surface Waving in Chiral Liquid Crystal Networks

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Pers/media

Chemists debate how to fuel molecular machines

Tiny labmade motors could one day suck pollutants from the air and harvest precious metals

How chemists are building molecular assembly lines

Download 'Rapport Rolling-Grantsfonds Kloppend hart voor ongebonden onderzoek' PDF document | 40 pagina's | 605 kB Kamerstuk | 12-11-2020

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