This is the consortium of partners who contribute to ITS-THIN:

Bielefeld University

Physics of Supramolecular Systems and Surfaces
Experimental Biophysics and Applied Nanoscience

Principal Investigator / Project Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Armin Gölzhäuser

The research group Physics of Supramolecular Systems and Surfaces is focused on the fabrication, characterization and application of functional nanomaterials with a emphasis on two-dimensional carbon and graphene.

The group pioneered the fabrication of carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) from cross-linked self-assembled monolayers. The group lays a strong effort on technological applications of CNMs and explores their use for electronics, photonics, biotechnology, and as tailored filter membranes for gas and liquid separation.

Our laboratory uses modern preparative and analytical tools: electron microscopes, photoelectron spectrometers, scanning probes and CVD systems. We also operate the first helium ion microscope (HIM) at a German university. Our HIM is used for high-resolution imaging and nanolithography with a focused He ion beam.

More information about the group can be found here.

The research group Experimental Biophysics and Applied Nanoscience … (work in progress).

More information about the group can be found here.

University of Maribor

Laboratory for Water Biophysics and Membrane Processes

Principal Investigator: Assist. Prof. Dr. Irena Petrinić

The group works on the investigation of the relation between the structure and dynamics of hydration water and that of hydrated biomolecules, surfaces materials and interfaces using advanced methodologies, working on a large range of time-scales and length-scales. Experimental work includes spectroscopy, zeta-potential determination and scaling characterization.

More information about the group can be found here.

Technical University of Denmark

Department of Environmental Engineering

Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Claus Hélix-Nielsen

DTU’s Department of Environmental Engineering activities in research, teaching and innovation are focused within five scientific sections: Air, Land & Water Resources; Environmental Fate & Effect of Chemicals; Residual Resource Engineering; Urban Water Systems, and Water Technology. The academic width and the multidisciplinary approach on solving complex environmental problems are reflected in the profile of the scientific staff. DTU Environment employs engineers, chemists, biologists, geologists, and physicists who collaborate with a broad group of Danish and international partners. DTU Environment has around 190 employees of more than 30 nationalities. The permanent research staff includes 35 professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and senior researches, 40 postdoctoral researchers and research assistants, and 75 PhD students. The administration has 15 employees, and the laboratory function is manned by 16 technicians. The department has modern and well-equipped research laboratories, which also are used in many teaching-related activities.

University of Patras

Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials Laboratory

Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Costas Galiotis

Nanotechnology & Advanced Materials Laboratory, headed by Prof. C. Galiotis, conducts active research in carbon nanomaterials and 2D materials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes etc. It is also a centre of excellence for composites research such as graphitic/ polymer nanocomposites and conventional carbon and Kevlar composites. The composites group is renowned for its achievements in stress/ strain measurements in fibrous composites using laser Raman microscopy and has received over 3000 citations for related work. The expertise gained over many years of composites research particularly on graphite based materials has been put into good use in research in carbon nanotubes and graphene and associated nanocomposites.

Riga Technical University

Water Research and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory

Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Talis Juhna

Water Research Laboratory (WRL) was started up in 2000. It represents an education and research unit within the Faculty of Civil Engineering. The project group leader (senior researcher Prof. T. Juhna) is highly qualified and acknowledged both nationally and internationally through his delivered projects and his publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Team staff has both the project administration skills and research capacity in water engineering technologies, in the fields of renewable energy sources, climate change and pollution prevention technologies, environmental and sustainability assessment of technologies and industrial processes. In addition, our members have broad experience from the past projects in cooperation with industrial partners and end-user organizations required for successful completion of the activities foreseen in this project.

Starting from June, 2020, the name of the Water research Laboratory (WRL) has been changed to Water Research and Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory (WREBL).

More information about the group can be found here.

CNRS-ENS Paris

Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Lydéric Bocquet

My research is at the interface between condensed matter, fluid dynamics and nano-science. It is mostly curiosity driven. We combine experiments, theory, and molecular simulations to explore the intimate mechanisms of the dynamics of fluid interfaces from the macroscopic down to the molecular level, with applications in the fields of micro- and nano- fluidics, material science, complex fluids, etc.

My main research interest is about nanofluidics, the study of fluid and ionic transport at nanoscales. A key objective is to explore the unexpected fluid transport behavior occurring at the nanoscales in order to design and fabricate artificial “nanoscale ionic machines” based on emerging properties and capable to reproduce the amazing functionalities of biological systems. Such artificial nanofluidic building blocks allows designing simple computation architectures based on ions rather than electrons, showing elementary ‘learning’ functionality using the nanofluidic circuitry.

Anonther goal is to take benefit of the sometimes ‘exotic’ fluid transport behavior occurring at the nanoscales to propose new routes for energy harvesting and desalination. This fundamental research led to the creation of three start-up companies on these topics, “Sweetch-Energy”, “Hummink” and “Altr”.

More information about the group can be found here.

BLUE-tec BV

Principal Investigator: Lex van Dijk

Practical value of water technology aiming for environmental sustainability is the focus of our work. Our dedicated employees form a team in which all aspects of applying technology come into place. Together with other actors in the field of expertise BLUE-tec aims at continuous development of knowledge on sustainable water technologies.

More information about BLUE-tec can be found here.

CNM Technologies GmbH

Principal Investigator: Dr. Polina Angelova

We develop, produce, and market molecular-thin Carbon Nanomembranes (CNMs), which are the “thinnest polymer films in the world”. This new class of materials can be applied in various fields like membrane technology, medicine, electronics, energy, and nanotechnology. Being material experts, we work on our own developments as well as on new applications together with customers and in collaborative research projects.

Our main focus is on the development of membranes for water treatment with unprecedented properties. Water transport through CNMs is orders of magnitude faster than in conventional polymeric membranes combined with extraordinary rejection rates. Particularly, the unwanted transport of salts and small organic molecules like ethanol or urea, which is often a challenge in conventional filter systems, is inhibited.

More information about CNM Technologies can be found here.