BlueMat Research Areas

Mechanical Materials focuses on developing 3D hybrid nanomaterials for mechanical functions driven by water interaction. Two main directions are considered: actuation/sensing and active acoustics. The objectives include creating materials with autonomous sensing, shape-changing abilities, and switchable acoustic transmission. The long-term vision is to achieve local control of functionality through patterning for programmable actuation, spatially resolved contact sensing, and tunable acoustic wave guidance. This area envisions new acoustic devices like switchable resonators and lenses, alongside bioinspired materials that can autonomously respond to various stimuli, paving the way for 4D programmable materials.

Fluid Transport Materialsdraws inspiration from the transpiration and filtration mechanisms of plants to develop 3D architectured porous materials. These materials will enable precise, stimulus-responsive control of water-solid interactions, improving water vapor and sol- ute ion sorption, and enhancing capillarity-driven liquid transport. The envisioned applications include tunable permeability and imbibition/evaporation for water transpiration powered hydraulic systems, switchable capillary pumps, intelligent water purification, and energy-efficient desalination. This research will pioneer advanced fluid transport material systems for sustainable water management and resource extraction, focusing on the multiscale control of water interactions and the emerging field of transport metamaterials.

Photonic Materials seeks to develop water-driven structured materials that can alter their electromagnetic properties in the optical and microwave ranges through water interaction. Depending on the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation, we will change the effective permittivity of or scattering from structured media. This research aims to create adaptive surfaces, windows, and thermal insulation for sustainable architecture and garments, as well as customizable optical and microwave elements for adaptive optics, radars, and sensors. The focus is on understanding water’s electromagnetic properties at the interface of nanoporous media and controlling water distribution at nm- and μm-scales to achieve mechanically stable photonic materials activated by water.

Energy Materials is dedicated to utilizing water and aqueous solutions for energy storage and conversion in confined and porous spaces. This includes developing supercapacitors and batteries with safe, sustainable aqueous electrolytes, and exploring hydrovoltaic effects for converting humidity variations into electricity. Additionally, the research focuses on photo and electrocatalysis for water splitting and hydrocarbon synthesis from CO2 reduction. By leveraging the unique properties of water upon interaction with multiscale porous solids, this area aims for emerging energy-related applications like scalable electrode materials for all-water supercapacitors and batteries, ultra-low friction hydrovoltaic materials harvesting energy from low-grade waste heat, as well as hierarchical porous electrodes for vastly improved water splitting and CO₂ capture.

CA Imaging will create a unique multimodal and correlative imaging framework to quantify the behavior of water in multiscale structured matter with unprecedented accuracy and completeness across 10 orders of magnitude in length and 16 in time.

CA Modeling will create a unique ecosystem of computational and machine learning models to understand Blue Materials all the way from the quantum to the device level and share these models through unique open-source software worldwide.

CA Data will enable both established and novel strategies for data collection from (electronic) laboratory books and simulations, through their publication under FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse) principles.

CA Exploitation & Experiencing addresses two challenges. First, it is dedicated to the upscaling of fabrication and in-device exploitation of Blue Materials. It is a key aspect of BlueMat, to combine self-assembly/ self-organization material structuring on the molecular and nm-scale with 3D printing and lithography on the μm- and mm-scale, and scalable fabrication on the device scale. Second, the CA Exploitation & Experiencing aims at making Blue Materials experienceable and tangible for the public and exploitable in engineering applications. To this end, engineering and artistics methods are combined.