The Multi-Scale and Multi-functional Materials group is a multidisciplinary team of scientists whose research interests are focused on materials for which the valuable physical properties are closely related to a complex hierarchical organization at the structural level ranging from the atomic to micrometer scale. The singularity of these materials is the fact that understanding the structure and properties on one scale does not necessarily allow predicting their structure and behavior on a higher or smaller scale (as opposed to fractals). The most representative members of this class of materials are composites, which can have a very simple organization (nanoparticles in a matrix) or may adopt complex configurations such as in the case of aggregated nano-objects dispersed in an anisotropic matrix. The multifunctional character stands for the simultaneous exploitation of several properties originating from the multi-scale nature of the very same material. It can also stands for a class of materials whose structure can be tuned appropriately to create a wide range of functions. Currently, three topics that target societal challenges are developed in the group: the first topic is focused on carbon materials and their versatility, the second topic concerns the synthesis of multifunctional nanoparticles for medical imaging, and then the third topic is dedicated to the study of ancient materials presenting a partially hierarchized structure and multiple functions.
 |
M3 Multi-Scale and Multi-functional Materials |  |