Vom 31. Januar bis zum 05. Februar 2016 fand im Four Points Sheraton in Ventura (Kalifonien) “The 2016 Gordon Research Conference on Multifunctional Materials and Structures: Science of Autonomic, Adaptive and Self-Sustaining Systems” statt. Im Rahmen der ersten Gordon Research Conference zu dieser Thematik, die hervorragend von den beiden Chairpersons Prof. B.-L. („Les“) Lee (Johns Hopkins University, USA) und Prof. Scott R. White (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA) und den GRC-Mitarbeitern/innen organisiert war, wurde in 25 eingeladenen Vorträgen der gesamte Themenbereich Multifunktionaler Materialforschung in hervorragender Weise abgedeckt. Durch die großzügig gestalteten Diskussionszeiten nach den Vorträgen und im Rahmen der Posterpräsentationen entstand eine sehr fruchtbare und hochspannende Diskussionsatmosphäre, die von den über 180 Teilnehmern der GCR intensiv genutzt und sehr geschätzt wurde. Die nächste Gordon Research Conference zu dieser Thematik unter Leitung der Chairpersons Prof. James P. Thomas (U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, USA) und Prof. Nancy R. Sottos (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA) ist für 2018 wiederum im Four Points Sheraton in Ventura (Kalifonien) geplant. >> mehr

Description “2016 Gordon Research Conference on Multifunctional Materials and Structures: Science of Autonomic, Adaptive and Self-Sustaining Systems”:
The Gordon Research Conference on Multifunctional Materials and Structures aims to extend and accelerate interdisciplinary research activities in this emerging field, which incorporates mechanics, materials science, engineering science, physics, chemistry and biology.  Multifunctional design encompasses materials, structures and/or material systems that have the ability to perform multiple functions through judicious combinations of structural properties and at least one additional functional capability as dictated by the system application requirements.  The individual material elements are participating, concurrently or sequentially, in distinct, beneficial physical processes thereby delivering truly dramatic improvements in system-level efficiency beyond possible incremental improvements.  Visionary contexts for multifunctional systems include (a) “autonomic” structures that can sense, diagnose and respond to external stimuli with minimal external intervention, (b) “adaptive” structures allowing reconfiguration or readjustment of functionality, shape and mechanical properties on demand, and (c) “self-sustaining” systems with structurally integrated power harvest/storage/transmission capabilities. The conference will address key scientific issues underpinning the advancement of these systems such as: translation of model biological functions to synthetic materials, accelerating transport or dynamic chemical changes in strong, stiff materials, optimizing interfaces between hard and soft materials, multi-physics modeling of multi-component systems, etc. The meeting will bring together a cross-section of academic scholars, government researchers and planners, and industry practitioners, thus catalyzing new efforts and worldwide collaborations. >> more