Topics

This new international conference – organized by Materials Today – will address the latest developments in three novel and exciting areas of materials research. Plenary and selected contributed papers will be arranged as three symposia on the synthesis and assembly of nanostructures, functional materials for nonvolatile memories, and the interface between materials and biology. Further details on each are detailed below:

Synthesis and assembly of nanostructures details...
Symposium chair: Younan Xia, University of Washington, USA

Functional materials for nonvolatile memories details...
Symposium chair: Sang Ho Lim, Korea University, Korea

The interface between biology and materials details...
Symposium chair: Dan Luo, Cornell University, USA

View the invited speakers for each symposium

This symposium will focus on current developments related to the synthesis and assembly of nanostructures. It will cover both solution- and gas-phase routes to the large-scale synthesis of nanostructures. Special attention will be given to those methods that can precisely control the composition, morphology, and properties of nanostructures. Material applications and device fabrication with functional nanostructures will also be covered.

Topics will include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Shape control and shape-specific properties of nanostructures
• Multipod or branched nanostructures
• Hierarchical structures and multicomponent nanostructures
• Nanoporous and mesoporous materials
• Surface modification of nanostructures
• Core-shell and core-sheath nanostructures
• New synthetic routes to nanostructures
• Electronic, magnetic, catalytic, and photonic properties of nanostructures
• Assembly and unconventional approaches to device fabrication with nanostructures

There are several types of 'next-generation nonvolatile memories' including PRAM, MRAM, PoRAM, RRAM, and FeRAM. In the last few years, new materials showing novel and interesting properties for nonvolatile memory applications have been developed and some used to demonstrate new memory devices. Although there are numerous similarities in these research activities, there have been few coherent and collaborative efforts among the groups working on different nonvolatile memories. The main purpose of this symposium is to provide an opportunity for researchers from numerous areas to get together and get acquainted with recent developments in related nonvolatile memory areas as well as their own. This symposium will promote communication between diverse groups and advance material/device sciences for next-generation nonvolatile memories.

Topics will include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Phase change RAM (PRAM)
• Magnetoresistive or magnetic RAM (MRAM)
• Polymer RAM (PoRAM)
• Resistive RAM (RRAM)
• Ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM)
• Other memory devices: single electron transistor RAM (SET-RAM), carbon nanotube RAM (CNT-RAM), spin-torque RAM, etc.
• Other materials: multiferroics, etc.
• Theories: new physical phenomena, operating principles, fundamental limits, reliabilities, etc.
• Fabrication techniques

Materials science and engineering will play a big part in the future of biology, not only for basic research, but also for clinical applications by providing novel materials and devices for preventing and treating human diseases. Biology, on the other hand, will provide inspiration and novel building blocks for the design and development of new materials. The interface between materials and biology, i.e. the bridging and integration of these two fields, is this symposium’s focus. Its aim is to provide a forum for materials scientists and engineers, chemists, biologists, biological engineers, biomedical engineers, and clinicians to showcase their recent accomplishments, exchange information, and establish collaborations in an interdisciplinary environment. The symposium will cover a wide variety of topics ranging from materials for drug delivery and tissue engineering to biomimetic, bioinspired, and bioderived materials.

Topics will include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Using biological building blocks to create novel materials and devices
• Using materials to probe, alter, and control biological responses
• Understanding biological responses to implanted or injected materials
• Utilizing materials for clinical applications (drug delivery, tissue engineering, etc.)
• Utilizing materials for biotechnology applications
• Biomaterials for nonbiological applications
• Engineering aspects (synthesis and processing, characterization, modification) of biomaterials