Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R77544/01
Title:	Platform Grant - SOFT NANOTECHNOLOGY
Principal Investigator:	Jones, Professor R
Other Investigators:	Geoghegan, Professor M Fairclough, Professor JPA Ryan, Professor AJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Physics and Astronomy
Organisation:	University of Sheffield
Scheme:	Platform Grants (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 2002	Ends:	30 September 2007	Value (£):	431,695
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Characterisation Materials Synthesis & Growth Surfaces & Interfaces
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Chemicals Food and Drink Healthcare Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Our research program has been built on understanding the properties of polymers and biopolymers at the molecular and supramolecular level, with an emphasis on self-assembly processes in polymers of well-defined architectures, the properties of polymers at surfaces and interfaces and the self-assembly of polymers in thin films and molecular layers. We see the long-term future of our research in using these ideas to underpin the novel, high added value uses for speciality polymers that are now emerging. These include biomedcal and molecular delivery applications and development of all-polymer semiconductor devices such as field effect transistors and light emitting diodes. Complex polymer systems offer unique opportunities to control structure and exploit properties at the molecular level. Self-assembly of functional macromolecules of complex architectures will form the basis of a branch of nanotechnology - soft nanotechnology -which is now, or soon will be, at a level to produce working devices. Examples of these might be sub-micron targeted drug delivery systems or polymer based logic circuits created by self-assembly. The laws governing self-assembly process operate at supra-molecular length scales and are universal, however, the specific properties of any objects built this way are defined by their chemical structure. There are, however, a number of fundamental issues that need to be addressed in order to exploit this understandng and develop generic technologies with experimental techniques that need to be developed with the support of key collaborators.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
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Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.shef.ac.uk