Tracks

More information about the research communities and how to sign up, can be found on the NWO website.

Chemical Conversion

Chemical conversion is integral to all disciplines in the chemical sciences and spans a broad range of fields, from fundamental, molecular-level chemistry to large-scale chemical process technology. It is crucial to a sustainable future as it can help minimize environmental impact and maximize societal impact by: creating and exploiting novel substances and transformations, understanding chemical processes and developing improved chemical processes and/or alternatives. Disciplines such as catalysis, process technology and synthesis play a key role in building up the scientific and technological basis that allows us to achieve these goals. Due to its diversity, Chemical Conversion becomes a meeting place for chemists, physicists, chemical engineers, and experts in material science and energy technology.

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Chemistry of Life

All living organisms use nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates as their basic building blocks of life, and a variety of small molecules such as metabolites, messengers, and energy carriers. Chemistry of Life studies the structure and function of these biomolecules and their role in biological processes at the molecular, cellular, and organismal level. The ultimate aim of the Chemistry of Life research field is to understand the fundamental molecular principles that govern life from microorganisms to humans and to apply that knowledge to improve human health and sustainable well-being. Conceptual, technological, and methodological advances drive the field forward. Key methods include the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of novel compounds and chemical systems, which are crucial for the development of biotechnological and medical applications. Chemistry of Life will contribute to society by discovering novel molecular processes and drugs to diagnose and treat disease, and modifying microorganisms to produce green chemicals and biofuels. Major breakthroughs within Chemistry of Life often require highly interdisciplinary research. The many disciplines within Chemistry of Life include (bio)organic and medicinal chemistry, analytical and macromolecular chemistry that relate to biological processes, bio- and cellular chemistry, structural and chemical biology, molecular biology, and biophysics.

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Chemistry of Materials

Materials are everywhere and exist in many forms. We use them for housing, transport, electronics, clothing, foodstuffs, healthcare and generating energy. This widespread use of materials is matched by a broad-based field of materials research. This is a multidisciplinary field that brings together expertise from chemistry, physics, biology and engineering. It covers the design-synthesis-characterisation-performance cycle. There are many types of material, too, such as organic, inorganic and hybrid, made up of biomacromolecules, macromolecules, colloids, small molecules, and so on. New emerging materials react to external stimuli and are inspired by nature; examples include strong lightweight materials, bioactive materials and self-healing coatings. Other new materials are metamaterials that derive their properties not from bulk properties, but from smartly designed nanostructures. These materials have unique properties that do not occur in nature. It is new materials upon which solutions to major social challenges, such as the supply of foodstuffs, health, generating and saving energy, the sustainability of transport and the scarcity of raw materials, are based. Examples include fully degradable or reusable materials, materials made from sustainable sources, materials for high-efficiency solar cells, materials for storing energy and responsive sensor materials for healthcare.

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Fundamentals and Methods of Chemistry

It is of fundamental importance to develop new conceptual frameworks in both experimental and theoretical disciplines. The rapid advances in models, computational tools and experimental techniques in the full range of the chemical sciences will enable us to study chemical reactions at ever smaller and shorter length and timescales, while at the same time opening up possibilities to study ever larger complex molecular systems. Detailed insight into causal relationships in combination with novel techniques will boost chemists ability to achieve their holy grail: rational design and synthesis of molecules, materials and processes  These advances will allow us to study molecules, matter and living systems at a level of complexity where chemistry can provide the universal and unifying principles. The focus of fundamentals and methods of chemistry research is on the development of new techniques and on improving existing ones. Good collaborative partnerships are essential here, both within fundamental and methodological chemistry and outside it, with physics, biology, computer science and medicine. These developments will help research into molecules, matter and living systems, in which chemical reactions can be controlled at increasingly smaller length and time scales as well as in ever-larger and more complex molecular systems

More information about the research community Fundamentals and Methods of Chemistry