The peculiar case of water in ionic liquids
For years, the modern class of non-aqueous solvents, ionic liquids (ILs) is under persisting investigation as sustainable candidates to replace organic solvents for industrial applications. However, one of the major drawbacks of this approach is their hygroscopicity. This presentation will show that the devil is in the chemistry details. A thorough insight into the dynamic behavior of ILs proves the possibility to use basic liquid-solution handling methodology to turn the presence of water impurities into an attractive and low-cost tool to tune the properties of ILs.
Katarzyna Dziubinska-Kühn
Researcher
Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology
A sponge for CO2
For a sustainable future, we know we have to work with the gases in our atmosphere, and with what we put in it with our processes! Carbon dioxide (CO2) is business critical and very challenging to handle because it doesn't like to be. trapped. Metallorganic frameworks (friendly referred as MOFs) can help with that, as they are very porous and gas can pass through easily - and not come out in full, if you're clever! I'll walk you through the challenges of trying carbon capture with these materials, and some of the work we've been doing with the support of the Maastricht Young Academy.
Giuditta Perversi
Teacher
Maastricht Science Programme | Maastricht University
Bringing clay to life; are the ancient tales true?
In many cultures, life was created from clay. In fact, clay was once the most important material known to man. With each stage of society, we advance in the materials we use. From simple clay, through the bronze age, and now to the plastic age, the materials we develop and use define our lives. As our society grows and ages, we place increasing demand on the materials we use and have an increasing responsibility in their creation. Where do we go from here? Can we rethink the way we make materials? Can we move from life-like to truly living materials? To address these questions, we take a look at creating and interfacing materials with life. By learning to interface current materials technologies with living units, we explore our ability to create objects that grow and change over time. Can we create a better future from an ancient story?
Matt Baker
Assistant Professor
Institute MERLN| Maastricht University
