Projects
Fault tolerance in self-assembly models Hasselt University
Self-assembly of organic donor-acceptor complexes within the confinement of a perovskite lattice: a fundamental study of the relation between structure and opto-electronic properties. Hasselt University
Development of a predictive model for hydrogel formation via a combination of synthesis and computational chemistry KU Leuven
Hydrogels are important materials with applications among others in tissue engineering. The goal of this project is to optimize a class of urea based hydrogelators previously developed in the host group via a combination of organic synthesis and computational analysis. Using organic synthetic methods, a diverse set of analogues of the urea based gelators will be produced. These compounds will serve as the structuring elements to form ...
New ways to explore fundamentals of the formation of self-assembled molecular networks at the liquid-solid interface KU Leuven
The spontaneous organisation of molecules into ordered patterns or complex systems, i.e. self-assembly, emerges in nature and plays a crucial role in life. It enables the formation of intricate structures in biological membranes, guides DNA assembly, and directs protein folding. In supramolecular chemistry, rapid progress has sparked numerous possibilities for leveraging intermolecular interactions across various fields. The development of ...
Highly conductive protein fibers as a radically new technological material. University of Antwerp
Biomimetic optical nanostructures Ghent University
Arrangements of material at the nanometer scale produce a dazzling array of colors, ranging from
ultra violet to red, without pigments. These so-called structural colors are particularly distinctive in
birds, which can produce non-iridescent colors (such as the blues of blue tits) using matrices of
keratin and air, or iridescent colors (such as the flashy colors of hummingbirds) using arrays of
...
Unravelling the multiple dynamics in supramolecular interpenetrating polymer networks using rheology and dielectric spectroscopy KU Leuven
Supramolecular chemistry has opened up an impressive toolbox for the development of novel polymeric systems. Whether exploited to create self-assembled architectures in dilute solutions, or to serve as non-permanent crosslinks in more concentrated polymer networks or hydrogels, supramolecular interactions induce superior, often stimuli-responsive properties. For biomedical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering, the ...
Nanocomposite solid electrolytes for Li-ion batteries KU Leuven
The large-scale use of fossil fuels required to meet the ever-growing global need for energy has some inherent disadvantages. It is unsustainable and has already led to a change of the global climate caused by emissions. This has bolstered a global push towards the development and use of sustainable energy, such as solar and wind. These intermittent energy sources necessitate further technological improvements in energy storage to create a ...
Computational design of symmetric circulary proteins as building blocks for platonic protein frameworks KU Leuven
The host laboratory recently made 6-fold and 8-fold symmetric circular proteins using computational biomolecular modelling techniques. The 6-fold symmetric protein called Pizza has promising properties for use in nano-technology. This Pizza protein was also redesigned to coordinate metal ions, thus forming the smallest nanocrystal reported to this date. In this project, I will aim to design other symmetric proteins with a different rotational ...