ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

Geometric frustration, namely the impossibility of satisfying competing interactions on a lattice, has recently become a topic of considerable interest as it engenders emergent, fundamentally new phenomena and holds the exciting promise of delivering a new class of nanoscale devices based on the motion of magnetic charges. With ENFORCE, I propose to realize two and three dimensional artificial colloidal ices and investigate the fascinating manybody physics of geometric frustration in these mesoscopic structures. I will use these soft matter systems to engineer novel frustrated states through independent control of the single particle positions, lattice topology and collective magnetic coupling. The three project work packages (WPs) will present increasing levels of complexity, challenge and ambition: (i) In WP1, I will demonstrate a way to restore the residual entropy in the square ice, a fundamental longstanding problem in the field. Furthermore, I will miniaturize the square and the honeycomb geometries and investigate the dynamics of thermally excited topological defects and the formation of grain boundaries. (ii) In WP2, I will decimate both lattices and realize mixed coordination geometries, where the similarity between the colloidal and spin ice systems breaks down. I will then develop a novel annealing protocol based on the simultaneous system visualization and magnetic actuation control. (iii) In WP3, I will realize a three dimensional artificial colloidal ice, in which interacting ferromagnetic inclusions will be located in the voids of an inverse opal, and arranged to form the FCC or the pyrochlore lattices. External fields will be used to align, bias and stir these magnetic inclusions while monitoring in situ their orientation and dynamics via laser scanning confocal microscopy. ENFORCE will exploit the accessible time and length scales of the colloidal ice to shed new light on the exciting and interdisciplinary field of geometric frustration.

1 850 298 €

Start date: 2020-01-01, End date: 2024-12-31

Humankind advancement is connected to the use and development of metal forms. Recent works have unveiled exceptional properties –such as luminescence, biocompatibility, antitumoral activity or a superlative catalytic activity– for small aggregations of metal atoms, so–called sub–nanometer metal clusters (SNMCs). Despite this importance, the gram-scale synthesis of structurally and electronically well–defined SNMCs is still far from being a reality. The present proposal situates at the centre of such weakness and aims at making a breakthrough step-change on the use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as chemical reactors for the in–situ synthesis of stable ligand-free SNMCs with such unique properties. This challenging synthetic strategy, which is assisted by striking published and inedited preliminary results, has solid foundations. Firstly, the design and large-scale preparation of cheap and novel families of highly robust and crystalline MOFs with tailor-made functional channels to be used as chemical reactors. Secondly, the application of solid-state post-synthetic methods to drive the multigram-scale preparation of unique ligand-free homo- and heterometallic SNMCs, which are, in the best-case scenario, very difficult to be obtained and stabilised outside the channels. Last but not least, single-crystal X-Ray diffraction will be used as the definitive tool for the characterisation, at the atomic level, of such ultrasmall species offering unprecedented snapshots about their real structures and formation mechanisms. The ultimate goal will be upscaling this synthetic strategy aiming at the large-scale fabrication of SNMCs and their industrial application will be then evaluated. A successful achievement of all the aforementioned objectives of this ground-breaking project would open new routes for the use of MOFs as chemical reactors to manufacture, at competitive prices, MOF-driven, structurally and electronically well–defined, ligand–free SNMCs in a multigram-scale.

1 886 000 €

Start date: 2019-03-01, End date: 2024-02-29

TRADITION aims to understand the long-term trajectory of human interaction with coastal resources and its legacy to present day small-scale fisheries in Latin America. Founded on traditional knowledge rooted in the past, small-scale fisheries are a crucial source of food and livelihood for millions of people worldwide, and play a pivotal role in poverty eradication in developing countries. A thorough recognition of the cultural and socio-economic significance of Latin American fisheries requires a temporal component that only archaeology and history can provide. TRADITION will investigate a 4000-year record of coastal exploitation in one of the world's most threatened tropical environments: the Atlantic forest of Brazil. We will draw together archaeological, palaeoecological, historical and ethnographic records to address fundamental questions that impinge upon our current understanding of the development of small-scale fisheries in this region. How did coastal economies adapt to the spread of agriculture? What was the impact of past climate and environmental changes on coastal populations? What was the impact of European colonisation of the Americas on the development of small-scale fisheries? What was the role of historical institutions and regulations in the negotiation between traditional and modern practices in small-scale fisheries? How have the historical practices and events shaped current small-scale coastal communities, and can this knowledge benefit current management strategies. The answers will help us understand how coastal economies responded to unprecedented societal and environmental changes by adapting their subsistence practices, technology and culture, while contributing to the foundation of coastal societies in Latin America.

1 877 107 €

Start date: 2019-09-01, End date: 2024-08-31