Archive-Mashelkar Endowment Lectures (May 2011-Jan 2015) Sr No. Date Speaker Name Title and Abstract
1 30-May-11 Prof. Biman Bagchi Title: Single Molecular View of Biological Processes : Protein-DNAInteraction, Enzyme Kinetics and Kinetic Proof Reading Abstract : Complexity of biological processes often does not allow a molecular level understanding of important dynamical events. However, recent single molecule spectroscopic studies have revealed new and fascinating aspects of several age-old problems that motivated new theoretical developments. In this talk I shall discuss our recent work on several such important biological processes, namely (a) the mechanism of diffusion of a non-specifically bound protein along DNA in its search for the specific binding site, and (b) the role of enzyme fluctuations in enzyme catalysis and, (c) explicit role of water in enzyme kinetics, and (d) theory of kinetic proof reading or, theory of lack of errors in biological synthesis within cells.
2 16-Jun-11 Prof Yamuna Krishnan Title: Molecular DNA devices in Living Systems Abstract : DNA has attractive physicochemical characteristics such as robust thermal and hydrolytic stability. It also has desirable structural characteristics stemming from predictable and specific recognition properties that give rise to a highly regular helical structure which behaves as a rigid rod on length scales upto ~50 nm. Since these rigid rods may be welded together by complementary base-pairing, DNA is now taking on a new aspect where it is finding use as a construction element to build exquisitely complex architectures on the nanoscale. This field is called structural DNA nanotechnology. We have been interested in architecturally simple, yet functional DNA-based molecular devices. Using two examples, one of a rigid, DNA polyhedron and another that functions as a pH sensor I will illustrate the potential of DNA based molecular devices as unique tools with which to interrogate living systems.
3 18-Jul-11 Prof. Kalobaran Maiti Title: Novel magnetism in magnetic and non magnetic materials Abstract: Magnetism of a material depends on two objects; (i) magnetic moment and (ii) mediators that couple them. Almost all the magnetic materials consist of elements possessing partially filled f (rare-earths: Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy etc.) or d (transition metals: Fe, Co, Ni etc.) bands among the highest occupied energy bands. Small radial extension of f-orbitals in rare-earths makes them highly localized leading to finite magnetic moment and coupling occurs via the interaction of these moments with the conduction electrons. The d electrons have both; magnetic moment due to strong electron-electron Coulomb repulsion and itineracy that mediates magnetic coupling. Recently some materials found those exhibit ferromagnetism (Curie temperature ~ 600 K) although they do not contain magnetic elements. On the other hand, conduction electrons screen local moment in a magnetic material making it non-magnetic. I will present some of our high resolution photoemission results that help to explore the origin of such unusual effects. It appears that low density of vacancies/defects in small band gap semiconductors can lead to high temperature ferromagnetism due to disorder induced effects. In the reverse case, Kondo effect compensates the magnetic moment leading to the absence of magnetic order - this seems to be an universal effect in correlated electron systems.
4 19-Aug-11 Prof. Ashutosh Sharma Title: Self-organized Meso-Fabrication and Functionalities in Highly Confined Soft Materials Abstract : This talk will summarize the underlying physics and some of the challenges in selfassembly and self-organization on micro/nano scales in soft materials based on understanding and control of instabilities in small scale systems. I will illustrate the basic principles from our recent results on novel meso-fabrication techniques and the resultant functionalities in soft polymer films and surfaces. These techniques and functionalities include: (1) A novel microfluidic reusable adhesive where the energy of adhesion is increased by two orders, (2) Elastic Contact Instability of a soft solid film, where a variety of structures such as arrays of femto-liter beakers, pillars and channels can be formed, aligned and modulated in-situ by controlled movements of a stamp, (3) Controlled Dewetting of thin (5 nm-100 nm) polymer films under an optimal water-organix mix to produce arrays of nanolenses of tunable curvature, (4) Electric Field Modulation of Interfaces where a visco-elastic film can be patterned on a hierarchy of length scales by spatio-temporal modulation of the field, and (5) Electrospinning, Micro-molding and photolithography combined to produce multiscale carbon-MEMS structures. The major emphasis in all these techniques is to produce functional structures and interfaces with wide ranging applications.
5 16-Sep-11 Prof. Sandeep Verma Title: Structural Consequences of Defined Organization in Solution and in Solid State Abstract : Biological superstructures are conventionally generated via recruitment of nanoscopic components in a “bottom-up” approach. In this context, essential biological macromolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and their constituents, have received considerable attention for the construction of self-organized ensembles, owing their potential to form hydrogen bonds and support other non-covalent interactions. We have been working in the area of structural signatures of metal-nucleobase interactions in the solid state and bioinspired aggregation of peptide/protein conjugates in solution. In this lecture, we will discuss the approaches adopted by us in studying organization of molecules and conjugates with help of crystallography as well as microscopic techniques or a combination of both. The application of such conjugates and self-organized structures will also be addressed.
6 14-Oct-11 Prof. Dhananjai Pandey Title: Isostructural Phase Transitions in Multiferroic Solid Solutions of BiFeO3 Abstract : The phenomena of magnetic and ferroelectric orderings have been generally regarded as “mutually exclusive” in oxide perovskites. The coexistence of the two phenomena with a coupling between the magnetic and ferroelectric order parameters in some magnetoelectric multiferroics has therefore evoked tremendous interest in recent years because of the interesting underlying physics and also the possibility of designing new generation sensor, actuator and memory devices. Amongst the various magnetoelectric multiferroics, BiFeO is the only compound which exhibits multiferroicity at room 3 temperature suitable for device applications. The purpose of this talk is to present some of our recent results on the occurrence of rare isostructural phase transitions in solid solutions of BiFeO with BaTiO and PbTiO that are responsible for two different exotic phenomena, 3 3 3 namely the magnetoelectric coupling and unusually large tetragonal distortion of the ferroelectric phase.
7 15-Nov-11 Prof. Dr. Peter H. Seeberger Title: Carbohydrate-based Nanotechnology Abstract: Carbohydrates in form of glycoconjugates decorate the surface of cells and are key to many important biological recognition events. The placement of well-defined, synthetic glycans on surfaces can be used for delivery, molecular imaging and sensing applications. Described is a host of nanostructures equipped with synthetic cell-surface carbohydrates. Nanoparticles, surfaces, metallo-dendrimers and supramolecular assemblies not only possess interesting structural but also electrochemical and fluorescent properties. These novel structures were applied to diagnostic and imaging applications in vitro and in vivo. Reported are also molecular logic operations using such nanostructures. In addition, the use of continuous flow reactors to produce large quantities of nanoparticles will be discussed.
8 28-Dec-11 Prof. Sanjay Rastogi Title: Disentangled ultra high molecular weight polyethylene from fundamental to technological development
Abstract : Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) having average molar mass greater than a million g/mol is an engineering polymer. Due to its light-weight, high abrasion resistance and biocompatibility it is used for demanding applications such as body armour, prostheses etc. At present, because of its high melt viscosity to achieve the uniaxial/biaxial properties in the form of fibers/films the polymer is processed via solution route where solvent is used to process 5-10 wt% of the polymer. In past several attempts have been made to process the polymer without using any solvent. However, compared to the solvent processing route the achieved mechanical properties were rather poor. Here we show that by controlled synthesis it is feasible to obtain UHMWPE that could be processed free of solvent to make uniaxial tapes and biaxial films having unprecedented mechanical properties, exceeding that of the solution spun fibers. We address some of the fundamental aspects of chemistry, physics, rheology and processing for the development of desired morphological features to achieve the ultimate mechanical properties in tapes and films in the polymer processed via solid-state, free of solvent.
9 16-01-2012 Prof. Devang. V. Khakhar Title: Dense Granular Flows: Rheology and Segregation Abstract : Granular materials (e.g., sand, gravel, cement, food grains, coal, fertilizer, catalyst pellets, pharmaceutical powders, etc.) flow in a liquid-like state under some conditions. The rheology of such flows is complex because of the frictional and collisional interactions between particles at high densities. Flowing mixtures tend to spontaneously segregate spatially introducing an additional level of complexity. Speaker will review the phenomena related to rheology and segregation in dense granular flows. Will present experimental and numerical results based on particle level measurements as well as continuum models to describe the phenomena.
10 24-Feb-12 Prof. Thomas Bein Title: Adventures in Porous Materials - From Drug Delivery to Energy Conversion Abstract : Mesoporous silica systems are of great interest in novel concepts for targeted drug delivery. Their low toxicity combined with their high surface area and large accessible pore volumes make them suitable as transporters for anti-cancer drugs or other target-specific agents. An important aspect of such systems is the controlled release of compounds from the host material only at the desired location and at a specific time. In this presentation we will discuss examples of mesoporous systems with specific functionalities including (i) pH-triggered release, (ii) endosomal escape, and (iii) anticoagulant mesoporous nanocarriers. Mesoporous structures also show intriguing properties in the field of energy conversion. The nanoscale morphology of porous, semiconducting metal oxides has a profound impact on their physical properties, including charge transport, ion intercalation and redox catalysis. We will discuss several strategies for the formation of hierarchical porous oxide semiconductor systems, which are partially based on fusing pre-formed oxide nanocrystals in the presence of appropriate porogens. These systems are employed as efficient active layers in photovoltaic cells and for photocatalytic reactions, respectively. We will discuss the significant impact of the nanoscale morphologies of these self-assembled materials on their transport properties.
11 26-Mar-12 Prof. Ramakrishna Ramaswamy Title: Deterministic Chaos : The Middle Kingdom Abstract : The realization that deterministic dynamical systems can show dynamics that is as unpredictable as a coin-toss has had a profound effect on the manner in which we view complexity, uncertainty, and chance. In the past few decades, there have been significant advances in the study of nonlinear dynamical systems. In this talk, I will briefly discuss the history of the field, the different issues that are of interest, and applications of these ideas to areas such as synchronization and control, as well as to recent applications in biology.
12 01-Apr-12 Dr. Harish Hande Title: Is solar expensive and does it make sense for the poor of our country? Abstract : With more than half the population still without electricity in the 21st century - we have few options in front of us. One of it is - decentralized energy. Many say it is expensive, but is it ? We say solar is expensive for the rich and affordable for the poor. As one goes deeper into the economic strata the percentage expenditure on basic energy increases. The barrier is not technology. It is the lack of eco- system that makes the energy service unaffordable. Building the eco-system is not difficult - it needs the right policies and little bit of passion among the young entrepreneurs.
13 18-May-12 Prof. Umesh V. Waghmare Title: From Electronic Motion to Macroscopic Behavior of Solids: First-principles Modeling and Simulation Abstract: First-principles theory of a material assumes no empirical input other than the identity of atoms and their positions, and starts with a quantum mechanical description of motion of electrons a material or a molecular system using a computer. With access to information at the sub-angstrom scale, it facilitates construction of microscopic models that capture the dependence of material-specific properties on its chemistry and structure. Such models can be simulated within the frame-work of statistical mechanics to predict behavior of a material at various time and length scales, and at extreme external fields (e.g. pressure) that may be hard to achieve experimentally. Thus, such an approach bridges the gap between microscopic details and macroscopic behavior of a material. Owing to advances in computing resources and algorithms, first-principles theoretical modeling and simulations have become a powerful technique in materials science: (a) they facilitate deeper understanding of complex materials and phenomena, (b) they complement experiments by providing information at scales that is hard to access, (c) they can be used in exploratory studies and prediction of novel materials and structures, (d) they are now being used in a number of problems relevant to technologies ranging from strong super alloys to nano-electronics. We will introduce basic principles of first-principles approach, and illustrate its strengths with applications to (a) ferroelectrics, smart materials used in micro-electro-mechanical systems, (b) nano-materials such as graphene and BN, (c) characterization of 2-dimensional nano-materials used in field effect transistors, and (d) materials relevant to energy storage and conversion
14 08-Jun-12 Prof. Olivier Mondain-Monval Title: Towards Acoustic Metamaterials Abstract : In 1968, Veselago theoretically explored the physics of electro-magnetic (em)propagation in materials having both their dielectric permittivity å and magneticpermeability ì negative. His theoretical work remained speculative until it was shown that simultaneous negative effective values of å and ì can be achieved in propagating media containing a sufficient concentration of physical entities that are able to resonate with the incoming em field, thus leading to negative values of the effective optical refractive index close to the resonance frequencies of the resonators. The synthesis and characterization of such materials – called locally resonant metamaterials - have motivated intensive worldwide research due to the large number of potential applications of emmetamaterials (super lenses, cloaking materials, sub- wavelength optical microscopy, filters, antenna, wave guides etc...). Realizing that several of these promising applications could be transposed to acoustics, researchers have recently begun to work on the design and synthesis of materials which would exhibit negative values of the effective density ñeff and/or of the effective compressibility êeff. Such acoustic metamaterials indeed open the route to many applications such as planar perfect acoustic lenses, acoustic cloaking devices, sub-wavelength acoustic microscopy, frequency-selective acoustic isolators and attenuators, waveguides ... Using some formulation and microfluidic techniques, we are currently working on the experimental realization of acoustic micro resonators. After a brief introduction to the subject, I will describe our approach and the first obtained results.
15 27-Jul-12 Dr. Amitava Das Title: Ordering the Molecules Abstract : Synthesizing molecules capable of executing desired functions is an area that fascinates most chemists since long. The abundant information available on the synthetic intricacies in making organic/inorganic molecules and the insights on various supramolecular interactions have provided means for achieving molecular assemblies and functions in a predictive manner. Our research interest encompasses harnessing both coordinative interactions as well as various non-bonding type forces such as -stack interaction(s) and high degree of directionality associated with hydrogen bonding for realizing desired functions of a molecule or molecular assemblies. We have made attempts to address the problems in recognition of certain anionic analytes, having high enthalpy of solvation in highly polar solvents, by adapting an alternate approach of metal-ligand coordination using appropriately designed metal-ion based receptors. We have demonstrated that changes in molecular conformations and movements in a host-guest supramolecular assembly could be probed by monitoring optical changes by tagging host and/or guest components with appropriate fluorescent markers. We have further explored the area of dye-sensitized solar cells through systematic variations in the design of the sensitizer dye molecules. We have examined the role of anchoring functionality as well as that of auxiliary coordinating ligands on the electron transfer dynamics associated with photoexcited dye-TiO hybrid. Some of these observations shall be discussed in this talk.
16 13-Aug-12 Dr. A. Ajayaghosh Title: Creation of Molecular Assemblies with Aesthetic Architectures and Exceptional Properties Abstract : Nature has the ability to create soft materials having aesthetically appealing structures with functional complexity using the principles of the bottom-up molecular self-assembly approaches. Noncovalent interactions are the driving force for the formation of such supramolecular architectures. Over the years, noncovalent chemistry has also been exploited to create molecular functional materials using synthetic molecules as building blocks. In the case of aromatic ð-systems, electronic properties such as fluorescence, charge carrier mobility and conductivity can be modulated as a consequence of self-assembly. For the past several years we have been learning to use linear ð-systems as molecular building blocks to the creation of a variety of supramolecular architectures with diverse, size, shape and properties. Many of these molecular assemblies form organogels with intriguing reversible properties. Some of them are excellent donor scaffolds for energy transfer which allows tuning of the emission colors. The fluorescence of these materials is extremely sensitive to the surroundings and hence useful for sensing and imaging. For example, recently we have shown the application of fluorescent gelators for rewritable imaging and attogram sensing of TNT. The fascinating chemistry of some of these systems will be discussed.
17 28-Sep-12 Prof. Dr. M.G. Finn Title: “New Tools for Chemical Biology” Abstract: As the name implies, chemical biology takes advantage of novel small molecules and synthetic techniques to explore and manipulate biological systems. Two sets of tools will be described, at each end of the size scale at which chemistry usually operates. First, the art and science of bioconjugation has always relied on highly reliable chemical reactions. The development of new and optimized click reactions has given investigators in the field new capabilities to creatively modify the structures and functions of biomolecules. In this lecture, the ligation chemistry of azides will be discussed in detail, along with other reactions that meet "click chemistry" standards under biocompatible conditions. Second, viruses and virus-like particles are the largest scaffolds conveniently available to the molecular scientist with structures known to atomic resolution. They therefore represent unique tools with which to explore a variety of questions in nanoscience, biology, and materials research. Our work in recent years has focused on the particle derived from the bacteriophage Qb capsid as a model system. Methods for the chemical and genetic modification of the coat protein, its targeting to particular cell types, and its use in immunology and as a container for functional biological molecules will be described.
18 29-Oct-12 Prof. Pramod Pullarkat Title: The Mechanical and Dynamical Properties Neuronal Cells Abstract: Neuronal cells can generate complex networks as in the brain or span very long distances as in the peripheral nervous system. For this they produce tubular extensions (cables) called axons and dendrites. Their amazing ability to carry electrical signals and their ability to form complex computational networks have been the subjects of intense inter-disciplinary research. They exhibit equally remarkable structural and mechanical properties and this has been relatively less explored. In this talk we will discuss these and some of the challenges these cells have to overcome in order to span long distances and in forming complex networks.
19 23-Nov-12 Santanu Bhattacharya Title: Molecular Design of Gene Transporters Abstract: Ion permeation across cell membranes is highly restricted. DNA and RNA are polyelectrolytes and therefore transport of such macromolecules across cell membranes requires special strategies and design of appropriate molecular entities. This is an important goal in medicine as attempts to cure a disease could be initiated by supplementing an aberrant gene (DNA) or by the delivery of a suicide gene or via transfer of genes for the synthesis of new therapeutic proteins.
Traditionally, DNA delivery systems are broadly based on either viral or non-viral vectors. Viral vectors are significantly more efficient in delivering the gene as well as in inducing gene expression as a result of their highly evolved and specialized components. However, their use in clinic is limited due to inherent drawbacks, such as adverse immunogenic reactions, restricted targeting of specific cell types, size limitation on DNA, and potential for mutagenesis.
Among the non-viral vectors, appropriately designed lipids and lipopeptides have shown excellent potential for gene delivery applications. Of these the cationic lipid-mediated DNA delivery is one of the most promising approaches for gene delivery and much progress have been made in the development of various cationic liposomes for gene delivery to mammalian cells. Various parameters affecting the aggregation properties of lipids or related molecules, their complexation with DNA and further application toward gene delivery have been optimized. The factors such as lipid architecture, composition, lipid/DNA charge ratios, lipoplex structures, role of different cell types, ionic strength, and presence of serum have been considered for the successful and efficient gene delivery. I shall present efforts made by us towards this end.
20 03-Dec-12 Michael Grätzel Title: Light and energy, the advent of mesoscopic solar cells Abstract: Learning from the concepts used by green plants in solar energy harvesting and conversion, we have developed a molecular photovoltaic device that is based on the sensitization of nanostructured oxide films by a molecular chromophore or a semiconductor quantum dot. Reported in 1991, the dye sensitized mesoscopic solar cellwas the first device to use a three-dimensional junctionfor solar light energy harvesting and conversion. It is also the only photovoltaic device that achieves the separation of light absorption from charge carrier transport- As in natural photosynthesis, the role of the sensitizer is to absorb light and generate electric charges. The latest progress in the molecular design of sensitizer and charge transport materials has enabled unprecedented photovoltaic performance to be attained. The solar to electric power conversion efficiency hasreached 12.9 % on the laboratory cell scale and 10 % on the PV module level, fostering first industrial applications. Mass production of flexible lightweight cells and glass modules on the megawatt scale has been launched. The low cost and ease of production of the new cell will benefit large-scale applications. Ourrecent research progress on efficient solar water splitting using mesoscopic n-type Fe2O3|and p-type Cu2O photo-electrodes will also be presented. These systems will promote the acceptance of renewable energy technologies, not least by setting new standards of convenience and economy.
21 31-Jan-13 Prof. Gil Markovich Title: Chirality in inorganic nanostructures Abstract: Inorganic nanostructures can be combined with chiral molecules in various ways to obtain interesting optical properties such as various chiroptical effects. In my talk I will describe several possibilities of combining metal and semiconductor nanoparticles with chiral molecules and their chiroptical properties. When the inorganic nanostructures are intrinsically chiral they would exhibit optical activity. When the nanostructures are intrinsically achiral they may still be optically active when interacting with chiral molecules, or even without the molecules, in special configurations.
22 08-Feb-13 Prof. shankar Ghosh Title: Mesoscopic weak adhesion: Particle at an interface Abstract: Adhesion of colloidal particles (synthetic or biological) to one another or to other surfaces, typically immersed in a fluid medium, is frequently a mesoscale phenomenon, intermediate between microscopic and macroscopic scales. Similar to other mesoscale phenomena, gaining a useful understanding based on ideas from either continuum or atomistic concepts alone is limited. A combination of experimental techniques like optical trapping and scanning probe techniques with simultaneous imaging provide a direct insight into the space- and time- dependent dynamics of the adhesion process in the relevant scales. The strength of adhesion typically evolves with time: the details of the processes depend on the overall strength of attractive interaction among the adhering objects as well as its spatial fluctuations governed by the randomness of the surfaces involved and their own time-dependent reconstruction due to varying local stresses. This review focuses on situations where the adhesive inter-object interactions is ``weak'' compared to the cohesive intra-object interactions whereby all processes occur, to a good approximation, in the interfacial region. In these situations, the dynamics of adhesion is affected by both the ``quenched'' spatial disorder of the surfaces as well as the thermal fluctuations. A local microrheological characterization of the stress-coupling in the interfacial region provide a heuristic description of the adhesion process. The discrete, thermally-assisted "punctuated descent" of the effective adhering system down a rough energy landscape through a hierarchy of finite metastable minima reflects the mesoscopic nature of adhesion. We review these experimental observations of particle adhesion in the weak limit and explore possible common mechanisms underlying apparently disparate phenomena and processes.
23 14-Mar-13 Abraham Lenhoff Title: Mechanisms of Protein Sorption and Transport in Ion-Exchange Media Abstract: Despite its inherent inefficiencies, chromatography remains the workhorse for protein purification in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, with ion exchange the most widely used mode. A chromatographic adsorbent for a particular application is chosen based on its equilibrium and transport properties, but the selection is usually made empirically. Therefore a mechanistic understanding of the structure–function relation that can guide predictive modeling of the performance of a particular adsorbent for a specific separation would be desirable. This presentation will cover efforts to develop such methods based on results from both standard chromatographic experiments as well as a variety of microscopy techniques, including electron and confocal microscopy. The characteristics of conventional sorbents are compared with those of polymer-functionalized ones, where the sorption is more accurately characterized as partitioning rather than adsorption. These media have some attractive features but also some disadvantages, which will be discussed, along with possible mechanistic explanations for these characteristics.
24 19-Apr-13 Mr. Girish Wagh Title: Story of Nano Abstract : The world's cheapest car, Tata Nano, is a result of Mr. Ratan Tata's dream of bringing to the market a low cost family car that will lead the new breed st of 21 century 'smaller, lighter, fuel-efficient and green' cars. The ambitious project that aimed to bring a 1 lakh car to the market is a classic example of a successful 'bottom of the pyramid' product or a 'MLM' product. The Tata Nano project was largely successful because of radical thinking and innovations in design, manufacturing processes and supply chain management. Interestingly, the engineering team on the Nano project had an average age of only 28 years. Innovations on Nano are continuing and are resulting into the introduction of path breaking concepts such as modular design that facilitates car assembly at any location, open distribution that enables reaching remote consumers and providing efficient servicing, and introduction of an environmental friendly electric version of Nano. This talk will highlight the journey of the Tata Nano and the major innovations that went into making it.
25 14-May-13 Julia A Kornfield Title: New Elastomers for Optimal Vision: the Light-Adjustable Intraocular Lens Abstract: As the lenses in our eyes age, they frequently become cloudy—develop a “cataract.” Over 14 million surgeries are done each year to remove cataracts and implant a synthetic lens to take its place. Current intraocular lenses leave approximately one third of cataract patients needing spectacles to achieve optimal distance vision. To achieve the desired refractive outcome without spectacle correction demands that the lens be capable of adjustment after wound healing has stabilized. New materials developed at Caltech enable post- operative, non-invasive adjustment of lens power. Kornfield will present collaborative work with Bob Grubbs in Chemistry and eye surgeon Dan Schwartz of UCSF, developing a material capable of in vivo ajustment using safe levels of light. The Light Adjustable Lens (LAL) is performing well in clinical trials, providing reproducible and predictable in situ power change up to ± 2.0 diopters. The talk will conclude with a parameter-free predictive model of the reaction-diffusion-deformation process; the model successfully describes both the transient response and the final state of the lens after an arbitrary adjustment.
26 14-Jun-13 Arindam Banerjee Title: Assembly of Peptides and Amino acid derivatives: From Molecules to Functional Materials Abstract: Molecular self-assembly plays a key role in chemical, biological and material sciences. Amino acids and peptides are basic building blocks of proteins. Peptides and amino acids are good candidates for molecular self-assembly by using various non- covalent interactions including hydrogen bonding, pi-pi stacking, electrostatic, solvophobic and other interactions. Under suitable conditions, a peptide or an amino acid derivative can be self-assembled to form a micro/nano-network structure occupied by a large amount of solvent molecules and this forms a soft material called gel. My research interest encompasses to control the assembly of oligopeptides and amino acid derivatives to make useful gels and also to explore interesting applications of these gels based soft materials. These gels have been used to perform a variety of functions including carriers of drugs and other biologically active molecules, removal of toxic organic dyes from waste-water, oil spill recovery, in situ synthesis of metal nanoparticles and silver nano clusters, acting as a template for making new hybrid materials by incorporating CdS nanoparticles (quantum dots), carbon nanotubes and graphene, semiconducting photo-switching semiconducting materials and photo-responsive materials. Moreover, some of these peptide based hydrogels exhibit a remarkable self-healing property that is usually very rare in non-living systems. The self-healing property can also be tuned by the incorporation of carbon based nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide. A gel based novel trihybrid system containing nanofibers, nanosheets and nanoparticles as well as the design of a two component white light emitting soft material will also be discussed in this talk.
Title: Engineering, processing and applications of structural proteins: about spider silk, mussel byssus and lacewing eggstalks 27 19-Jul-13 Prof. Dr.Thomas Scheibel Abstract : Biological materials often exceed the characteristics and properties of manmade ones. One well-known example is spider silk with superior mechanical properties such as strength and toughness. During 400 million years of evolution spiders became outstanding silk producers. In contrast to insects, such as caterpillars of the mulberry moth Bombyxmori (commonly known as silkworms), spiders can produce different silks – orb web spiders even up to seven different ones. Orb web spiders can precisely control their production and application. Most spider silks are used for building the web, which reflects an optimized trap for flying prey. Another example of an outstanding protein fiber is mussel byssus. Some marine species like the blue mussel (Mytilus galloprovencialis) are able to settle among seabed stones, pales and harbour walls. These mussels have successfully adapted to changes in tides, wind and sun. Their success is based on a unique anchorage, the mussel byssus. Byssus threads show unusual mechanical properties, since they resemble soft rubber at one end and rigid nylon at the other, and these properties are found with a seamless and gradual transition. We have developed biotechnological methods using bacteria as production hosts which produce structural proteins mimicking the natural ones. Besides the recombinant protein fabrication, we have developed a spinning technique to produce protein threads closely resembling natural ones. Importantly, we can employ the bio-inspired proteins also in other application forms such as hydrogels, particles, non-woven mats, foams or films. Our bio-inspired approach serves as a basis for new materials in a variety of medical, biological, or chemical applications.
28 19-Aug-13 Dr. B.S.Murthy Title: Exciting Engineering Applications of Nano Materials Developed by High Energy Ball Milling Abstract : High energy ball milling has been established as a prominent top-down route for the synthesis of nanocrystalline materials. Nanocrystalline metals, alloys, intermetallics, ceramics and composites have been successfully synthesized in a number of systems by this route. In-Situ nanocomposites can also be synthesized by this route by adopting reactive milling. The present talk highlights the structural and functional applications of a variety of nano materials synthesized by high energy ball milling followed by consolidation using spark plasma sintering. Al based nanocomposites strengthened with a variety of nano particles demonstrate exceptionally high hardness. Cu based nanocomposites show high strength coupled with good electrical resistivity. Intermetallic matrix nanocomposites such as NiAl-Al2O3 and FeAl-Al2O3 have demonstrated exceptional strength levels coupled with good ductility. The Sm2Co17-FeCo magnetic nanocomposites have shown promising magnetic properties. NiZn ferrite-BaTiO3 multiferroic nanocomposites have the highest ME coefficient among all the particulate multiferroic composites reported so far. A variety of engineering applications in which these nano materials have been used will be highlighted.
29 13-Sep-13 N. Ravishankar Title: Structural, Microstructural and Interfacial Engineering of Nanostructures and Hybrids for Applications Abstract Nucleation and growth processes play a key role in controlling the structure, microstructure and chemistry and consequently every conceivable property in advanced functional materials. Our group has been working on wet chemical methods for the synthesis of nanostructures and hybrids. While these methods are undoubtedly very powerful, the mechanisms of nucleation and growth are poorly understood and there is an over-emphasis on the role of specific reagents, in particular. This talk will focus on three specific issues. In the first part, the general principles of morphology evolution during wet chemical synthesis will be discussed. In particular, the formation of anisotropic structures of high symmetry materials and the associated symmetry breaking mechanisms will be delineated. Specific examples include the growth of ultrathin single crystalline Au nanowires and the formation of plate-shaped structures. The second part will focus on a general method for the synthesis of nanoporous materials and discuss some of their applications. Some unexpected and interesting results on the stability of these nanoporous systems will be presented. The role of heterogeneous nucleation for controlled synthesis of nanoscale hybrids for a variety of applications including catalysis and photovoltaic applications will form the third part. The overall emphasis will be on illustrating general principles that we have been able to extract based on our research over the past few years and also some thoughts on future directions and applications.
30 10-Oct-13 Prof. Sanjay Puri Title: Kinetics of Phase Transitions Abstract: We discuss the kinetics of phase transitions, i.e., the evolution of a system which has been rendered thermodynamically unstable by a rapid change of parameters like temperature or pressure. The subsequent evolution is characterized by the emergence and growth of domains enriched in the preferred phase. Our understanding of domain growth relies on the dynamics of defects, e.g., interfaces, vortices, monopoles, which describe the system.
31 20-Nov-13 Prof. Srikumar Banerjee Title: Materials Challenges for the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Abstract: The first part of this presentation will focus on current materials related issues being faced in Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). Introduction of Zr-2.5 Nb pressure tubes have resulted in significant improvement of the life of this component which is expected to cross 20 affective fuel power years. The current research for extending the life of pressure tubes will be summarized and the tools of their health management will be described. The development of fast reactor fuel based on the experience gained over 25 years of successful fast breeder test reactor operations will be highlighted by citing the results of post irradiation examination of fast reactor fuel. The current research on the metallic fuel development aiming at a high breading ratio for fast reactor fuel will be summarized. The sustainability of nuclear power production essentially depends on innovations in nuclear fuel cycle which ensures long term supply of fissile materials and reducing the radiotoxic life of spent fuel. Work on the evolving and futuristic fuel cycles being pursued in this direction will also be covered. Materials challenges for advanced research such as Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) and Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR) will be briefly discussed.
32 20-Dec-13 Dr. Subrat K Acharya Title: It is time to invest in innovation - The way forward to augment research in Gastroenterology Abstract: Like any other disciplines in science, informations and advancement in digestive diseases has rapidly progressed. During the past 3 decades, progress in physics, understanding of cellular biology and biochemical processes, has led to tremendous improvement in the understanding of the disease processes which in turn have opened the opportunities to intervene the disease processes. Such advancements have resulted in development for both diagnostic tests and drugs. Most of these prime advancements have appeared from affluent countries and many are expensive and thus unaffordable by the majority in the resource limited countries. Out of the box thinking and joining of hands of scientists with differing specialists have led to many path breaking discoveries. A successful collaboration requires not only joining of hands and minds but also an intense desire amongst all the collaborative partners. Therefore, may I appeal for collaboration between clinicians, chemical engineers, physicists, biologists, tissue engineers and others to engage in meaningful innovation process? The collaborative work may indeed help in developing need based therapy such as ammonia lowering therapy for patients with acute liver failure; understanding and unraveling of pathogenesis of Hepatitis C Virus infection especially genotype 3 (common in India); and many more. Such innovation, in addition to having value to the local population, has a great potential for global application.
33 22-Jan-14 Prof. Sunil Bhagwat Title: Materials Challenges for the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Abstract: The first part of this presentation will focus on current materials related issues being faced in Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). Introduction of Zr-2.5 Nb pressure tubes have resulted in significant improvement of the life of this component which is expected to cross 20 affective fuel power years. The current research for extending the life of pressure tubes will be summarized and the tools of their health management will be described.The development of fast reactor fuel based on the experience gained over 25 years of successful fast breeder test reactor operations will be highlighted by citing the results of post irradiation examination of fast reactor fuel. The current research on the metallic fuel development aiming at a high breading ratio for fast reactor fuel will be summarized. The sustainability of nuclear power production essentially depends on innovations in nuclear fuel cycle which ensures long term supply of fissile materials and reducing the radiotoxic life of spent fuel. Work on the evolving and futuristic fuel cycles being pursued in this direction will also be covered. Materials challenges for advanced research such as Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) and Compact High Temperature Reactor (CHTR) will be briefly discussed.
34 20-Feb-14 Arindam Chowdhury Title: Probing Energetic and Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity using Single-Emitter Spectroscopy Abstract: While ensemble measurements have been extremely successful in understanding the structure and dynamics in the condensed phase, they have often failed to capture the underlying details of the physical processes which give rise to the observed “bulk” behaviors. In this context, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy has emerged as a valuable technique to extract information regarding local (nanoscale) properties in complex (disordered) systems and understand the extent of spatiotemporal as well as energetic heterogeneities therein. Importantly, interrogating the electronic and/or spatiotemporal behaviors of a large number of individual fluorescent molecules or luminescent nanocrystals can provide distributions of physical parameters rather than the average values obtained from ensemble measurements, which can therefore be related to the extent of heterogeneity. This presentation will exemplify the efficacy of single-emitter spectroscopy to elucidate energetic inhomogeneity in two categories of luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals (undoped and doped semiconductor nanocrystals, quantum-dots), where we show that the rather broad emission spectrum observed in ensemble measurements have very contrasting origins. Further, I will discuss the utility of single-molecule translational and rotational mobility measurements to provide insights on the extent of spatial and dynamic heterogeneity in polymer thin-films during plasticization, a process which involves solvent induced lowering of the glass transition temperature.
35 07-Mar-14 Benjamin S. Hsiao Title: New breakthroughs in highly permeable polymer membranes for water purification Abstract: The fabrication of polymeric nanofibers can be accomplished by using a variety of methods, including electrospinning and a combination of chemical/mechanical processes, especially for cellulose, as a form of green sustainable resource material. Non-woven nanofiber mats have unique properties, such as interconnected pores, a very large surface-to-volume ratio, and a high capacity for surface modifications, making such scaffolds useful for fabrication of high throughput separation membranes. Directed water channels in the barrier layer are formed through the formation of interface between the cross-linked nanofibers and the polymer matrix, while the gap thickness may be regulated by physical interactions or chemical bonding. In the present context, advances in electrospinning and fundamental studies on nascent cellulose crystals by means of synchrotron X-ray scattering have provided us with new insight to use the fibrous format with varying pore sizes for applications from micro-filtration via ultra- filtration to nano-filtration. We have taken advantage of unique breakthroughs in chemical modifications and physical scale-up transformations to drastically improve filtration polymer membrane development with predesigned properties. In particular, we have, for example, examined the ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) membrane performance as influenced by the barrier layer substrate and reduced fouling by using a highly hydrophilic barrier layer. The same concept has been extended to the pervaporation process by using a highly hydrophilic graphene oxide layer. Performance characteristics of nanofibrous scaffolds for water purification applications are presented.
36 08-Apr-14 V.Ramgopal Rao Title: Multi-disciplinary Research Opportunities in Nanoelectronics Abstract: Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technology & the Moore’s Law are behind the 300 Billion dollar semiconductor industry that we see today. Industries are currently using the 22 nm node CMOS technology for consumer applications. However, scaling beyond the existing technology node poses many challenges owing to the variability, cost and power issues. From the Moore’s Law dominated scaling, industries are therefore transitioning to the More than Moore era, where integration of diverse components/functionalities on the chip dominates the technology roadmap rather than packing of more transistors on the die. This is expected to give rise to future intelligent chips/systems, and open up many new multi-disciplinary research/product opportunities which are beyond the scope of current CMOS technologies and electrical engineers. Using examples, we will see how engineers-chemists- biologists and material scientists working together can build the future smart systems that can address the growing needs of people at the bottom of the pyramid, particularly in the developing countries.
37 29-May-14 Mandar M. Deshmukh Title: Probing electronic, mechanical and opto-electronic properties of nanostructures Abstract: Science at the nanometer scale offers opportunities for exploring physics with a variety of flavours that is often difficult to realize in macroscopic systems. I will discuss three themes we pursue in our lab with the common thread being the use of electronic devices to explore electronics, mechanics and opto-electronic properties. Controlled modification of graphene’s electronic properties is of interest and nanofabricated superlattices offer such an opportunity. I will describe our efforts to modify graphene’s electronic properties. In addition, elastic properties and strain state of materials provide an avenue to study phase transitions. The resonant frequency of a doubly clamped beam, much like a guitar string, allows measurements of the elastic properties as function of temperature. I will describe an example of this for the metal insulator transition in VO2. Time permitting, I will finish with the recent work that we are pursuing to study optoelectronic properties of devices, using graphene and dichalcogenide based 2D structures, to explore their potential as detectors.
38 23-Jun-14 S. Ramakrishnan Title: Ordering of Polymers – From the molecular to the macroscopic scale Abstract: Polymers are typically very long chain-like molecules that are entropically driven to adopt a random coil conformation; coercing them to adopt a specific “folded” conformation is a major challenge that has confronted polymer chemists for a long time. In contrast, biological functions are most often accomplished with remarkable ease because giant biological macromolecules are gently guided to one specific three-dimensional folded structure using a variety of weak intra-chain non-covalent interactions, most important of which are H- bonding and electrostatic interactions. These relatively strong non-covalent interactions are often gently nudged by even weaker interactions, like π–stacking, hydrophobic interactions, etc. Clearly, biological structures often mockingly tease synthetic chemists who are faced with a herculean task when trying to mimic these elaborate, yet beautiful, biological macromolecules, even if it were just at the structural level. During the past decade, we have developed some interesting approaches to coerce synthetic polymer chains to adopt specific, but rudimentary-type of folded conformations, such as pleated structures; these were accomplished using a variety of weak intra- chain interactions, such as charge-transfer interactions, metal-ion complexation, solvophobic effects, etc.1 More recently, we have been exploring immiscibility-driven self-segregation at single-chain level as a fore-runner to folding polymer chains; here immiscibility drives co- location of two type of segments and crystallization of one or more of these segments stabilize the folded form. This was accomplished, in one case, by designing suitable periodically grafted amphiphilic graft copolymers,2,3 while in the other by generating Janus-type amphiphilic hyperbranched structures.4 The central theme in both these systems is the exploitation of self-segregation and the strong tendency for long alkylene segments to crystallize in a paraffinic-type crystalline lattice. I shall discuss these new designs to control the conformation at a single-chain level, provide evidences for their formation and discuss the consequences of such molecular-level control on their bulk morphology.
39 18-Jul-14 Jarugu Narasimha Moorthy Title: De Novo Approaches to Organic Materials Based on Sterically-Engineered Molecular Systems Abstract: We consider molecular structure as an embodiment of organic reactivity (both thermal and photochemical) as well as macroscopic bulk property. By dealing with design at the molecular level, it is possible to control organic reactivity and properties of macroscopic solids. Sterics, which originates from the word stereo to mean 3-dimensional perception, has become indispensable in every domain of organic chemistry. We have exploited sterics as a design element in the development of functional organic materials1-3 and to control reactivity of thermal as well as photochemical reactions.4 I will present some results of our research in the last few years on how one may control organic molecular reactivity and organization based on molecular design. I will exemplify rational molecular design based on sterics as applied to i) modulation of spectrokinetic properties of photochromic compounds1, ii) development of organic functional mimics of inorganic zeolites2 and iii) amorphous organic materials for application in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs)3.
40 11-Aug-14 G. Mugesh Title: Functional Mimetics of Iodothyronine Deiodinase for Thyroid Hormone Deiodination Abstract: Thyroxine (T4), the main secretory hormone of the thyroid gland, is produced on thyroglobulin by the heme-containing thyroid peroxidase (TPO)/hydrogen peroxide/iodide system. Iodothyronine deiodinases (IDs) catalyze the deiodination of thyroid hormones. The phenolic ring (5΄) deiodination of thyroxine (T4) by the type 1 and 2 enzymes (ID-1 and ID-2) produces the biologically active hormone,
hormone rT3. Recently, we showed that a naphthyl-based selenol bearing a thiol group in the close proximity to selenium acts as an excellent model for ID-3 by selectively removing iodine from T4 and T3 to produce rT3 and 3,3'-T2, respectively, under physiologically relevant conditions. In this lecture, various bioinorganic and medicinal chemistry aspects of thyroid hormones will be discussed.
Title: Expanded Porphyrin systems and their applications as non-linear optical materials and a molecular switch to tune Möbius–Hückel 41 17-Sep-14 Prof. T.K. Chandrashekar aromaticity Abstract: Expanded porphyrins continue to attract attention of chemists and physicists due to their involvement in diverse functions such as anion or cation receptors, nonlinear optical materials, photosensitizers for photo dynamic therapy and models for aromaticity in large π-electron systems. Recent Literature describes a variety of expanded porphyrins depending on the number and nature of pyrole rings, number of meso carbons linking the pyrole units and the number of π-electrons in conjugation. They adopt different conformations such as fused, I inverted, II, figure eight III etc. and exhibit different properties due to altered electronic structure: In this presentation, the highlights of our work on their use as non-linear optical materials will be discussed. In the second part of the talk their applications as models for aromaticity will be demonstrated by choosing a system which exhibit a reversible change from an antiaromatic 4nπ Hückel conformation to aromatic 4nπ Möbius conformation by a simple triggfor application in
Title: Continuous Flow Synthesis of Conjugated Polymers with Precise Control over Critical Molecular Design Parameters 42 10-Oct-14 Anil Kumar Abstract: In the last three decades, conjugated polymers have significantly evolved from being an academic curiosity to being an important commercial material. Organic electronics commonly refers to the optoelectronic devices based on small organic molecules or conjugated polymers. It is leading to a new revolution of so called "pervasive electronics" wherein electronic devices will become more personal and become an integral part of our life. This will be possible because of the ease with which the properties of organic semiconductors can be fine-tuned along with the low cost of production and fabrication. Though small molecules have played an important role in organic optoelectronic devices, conjugated polymers still remain more attractive due to their ability to form thin films which are thermally, chemically and environmentally stable. However, large scale syntheses with controlled molecular properties still remains a major challenge in this area. Continuous flow synthesis provides a potential alternative to batch synthesis because of its inherent advantages such as very efficient heat exchange, high batch to batch reproducibility, fast mixing, high throughput, safety, and the ability to do multistep telescopic synthesis. In this presentation, I will discuss some of our recent results in this direction with particular emphasis on the large scale synthesis and characterization of regioregular Poly(3-hexylthiophene) and Poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene-dialkyl) with precise control over critical molecular design parameters via Continuous Flow Synthesis.
43 12-Nov-14 Abhishek Dey Title: H2O = H2 + O2 Abstract: We need clean energy and clean water; there is no denying that. H2 and O2 based energy systems are hailed to be clean. To wit; the H2 and O2 when combined will release energy and water as well. A process like that can provide clean energy and water to all (the motto!). There are however several key obstacles to cross before such a system can be realized. The biggest one, undoubtedly, is developing catalysts that are capable of facilitating the two half reactions i.e. H2 + e- = ½ H2 and H2O - 2e- = ½ O2 + 2H+. The catalysts are required to be 1) Cheap, 2) efficient and should work unabated under most daunting circumstances (chemically speaking!). At IACS our group has been heavily invested in electrochemical water splitting in to its elements H2 and O2 adhering to these criteria. Using a combination of synthesis (tireless fun), self assembly (organized fun), spectroscopy (colorful fun) and electronic structure function correlations (quantized fun) our group has been successful in producing some remarkable catalysts for the purpose. These catalyst, designed using the principles laid out in Nature, are derived from cheap materials (mostly) and can produce H2 and O2 from water using electrical energy (socket and solar) at very high rates. While these may not generate trillion dollar business (yet!), the journey so far has been very encouraging and humbling. The talk will highlight the milestones reached along with a healthy serving of chemical details that were necessary to get there.
44 17-Dec-14 Prof. Arun Yethiraj Title: Self-assembly in complex fluids Abstract: The self-assembly of molecules into nano-structured materials is a fascinating process because small changes in intermolecular interactions can have a large impact on the final mesoscopic structures. An interesting goal is the directed self-assembly of molecules where the chemical nature of the molecules drives the assembly into specific nanostructures. In this talk I will discuss two classes of molecules: lipid/peptide mixtures and Gemini surfactants. In the former, specific interactions between the peptides and lipids cause lipid segregation and the formation of curved interfaces. Gemini surfactants form lyotropic liquid crystalline phases. Using computer simulation we show that both non-electrostatic and electrostatic interactions play an important role in the self-assembly of these systems, and both are promising candidates for chemistry directed self-assembly.
45 07-Jan-15 Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Title: Nanostructured Functional Materials by Taming Radicals Abstract: Many advanced nanostructured functional materials were recently designed and prepared by controlled/ living radical polymerization (CRP). More than 100 million tons of polymers are produced annually world-wide by conventional radical polymerization. However, macromolecular engineering is impossible in this process. Copper-based ATRP (atom transfer radical polymerization) catalytic systems with polydentate nitrogen ligands are among most efficient controlled/living radical polymerization systems. Recently, by applying new initiating/catalytic systems, Cu level in ATRP was reduced to a few ppm. ATRP of acrylates, methacrylates, styrenes, acrylamides, acrylonitrile and other vinyl monomers was employed for macromolecular engineering of polymers with precisely controlled molecular weights, low dispersities, designed shape, composition and functionality. Examples of block, graft, star, hyperbranched, gradient and periodic copolymers, molecular brushes and various hybrid materials and bioconjugates prepared with high precision will be presented. These polymers can be used as components of various advanced materials such as health and beauty products, biomedical and electronic materials, coatings, elastomers, adhesives, surfactants, dispersants, lubricants, additives, or sealants. Special emphasis will be on nanostructured multifunctional hybrid materials for application related to environment, energy and catalysis.
Special R.A.Mashelkar lectures
Title: Light and energy, the advent of mesoscopic solar cells 1 03-Dec-12 Michael Grätzel Abstract: Learning from the concepts used by green plants in solar energy harvesting and conversion, we have developed a molecular photovoltaic device that is based on the sensitization of nanostructured oxide films by a molecular chromophore or a semiconductor quantum dot. Reported in 1991, the dye sensitized mesoscopic solar cellwas the first device to use a three-dimensional junctionfor solar light energy harvesting and conversion. It is also the only photovoltaic device that achieves the separation of light absorption from charge carrier transport- As in natural photosynthesis, the role of the sensitizer is to absorb light and generate electric charges. The latest progress in the molecular design of sensitizer and charge transport materials has enabled unprecedented photovoltaic performance to be attained. The solar to electric power conversion efficiency hasreached 12.9 % on the laboratory cell scale and 10 % on the PV module level, fostering first industrial applications. Mass production of flexible lightweight cells and glass modules on the megawatt scale has been launched. The low cost and ease of production of the new cell will benefit large-scale applications. Ourrecent research progress on efficient solar water splitting using mesoscopic n-type Fe2O3|and p-type Cu2O photo-electrodes will also be presented. These systems will promote the acceptance of renewable energy technologies, not least by setting new standards of convenience and economy.
Title: Nanostructured Functional Materials by Taming Radicals
2 07-Jan-15 Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Abstract: Many advanced nanostructured functional materials were recently designed and prepared by controlled/ living radical polymerization (CRP). More than 100 million tons of polymers are produced annually world-wide by conventional radical polymerization. However, macromolecular engineering is impossible in this process. Copper-based ATRP (atom transfer radical polymerization) catalytic systems with polydentate nitrogen ligands are among most efficient controlled/living radical polymerization systems. Recently, by applying new initiating/catalytic systems, Cu level in ATRP was reduced to a few ppm. ATRP of acrylates, methacrylates, styrenes, acrylamides, acrylonitrile and other vinyl monomers was employed for macromolecular engineering of polymers with precisely controlled molecular weights, low dispersities, designed shape, composition and functionality. Examples of block, graft, star, hyperbranched, gradient and periodic copolymers, molecular brushes and various hybrid materials and bioconjugates prepared with high precision will be presented. These polymers can be used as components of various advanced materials such as health and beauty products, biomedical and electronic materials, coatings, elastomers, adhesives, surfactants, dispersants, lubricants, additives, or sealants. Special emphasis will be on nanostructured multifunctional hybrid materials for application related to environment, energy and catalysis.