Actionnement et contrôle optique de matériaux hybrides photoactifs nanostructurés multifonctionnels

该项目致力于设计、制造和研究基于光活性偶氮苯聚合物的智能、混合、纳米结构、多功能材料，以构建具有光学可调特性的高效组件。该项目的成果将包括新的设计和仿真工具，微/纳米制造和光驱动多功能组件的表征方法。通过与我们的工业合作伙伴Castor Optics的合作，该项目将促进用于生物医学成像应用的光纤耦合器的光学控制和小型化，这些应用目前受到尺寸、机械缺陷和机械运动部件磨损的限制。此外，该项目将继续开发光可调生物相容性基质来研究生物系统。集成到芯片上的实验室生物传感设备中，这些组件将允许对基底与生物实体的相互作用进行实时光学控制，从而影响它们的运动性和粘附性，以及灵敏度、选择性等分析参数。参与的法国公司黑洞实验室专门从事微流体系统的设计和制造，将支持此类设备的研究开发，同时为参与的加拿大公司打入欧洲市场提供门户。涉事公司PCAS-Canada在聚合物开发方面处于世界领先地位，特别是在含偶氮苯聚合物的制造方面拥有丰富的经验。其意义将是开发定制光活性分子和制造光学可调谐多功能纳米结构材料的关键。目标应用也可以扩展到其他领域，如智能眼镜和涂层、眼科镜片、窗户、太阳能电池等。

The project addresses the design, fabrication and study of smart, hybrid, nanostructured, multifunctional materials based on photoactive azobenzene-containing polymers to build efficient components with optically-tunable properties. The outcome of the project will consist in new design and simulation tools, micro/nanofabrication and characterization methods of light-driven multifunctional components. In collaboration with our industrial partner Castor Optics, the project will foster the optical control and miniaturization of fiber couplers for biomedical imaging applications, which are today limited by the size, mechanical imperfections and wear of mechanical moving parts. Also, the project will pursue the development of light-tunable biocompatible substrates to study biological systems. Integrated into lab-on-chip bio-sensing devices, these components will allow the real-time optical control of the substrate interactions with the biological entities, hence influencing their motility and adhesion and, so, analysis parameters such as sensitivity, selectivity, etc. The involved French company Black Hole Labs, specialized in the design and fabrication of microfluidics systems, will support the research towards the development of such devices, constituting in the meantime a gateway for the involved Canadian companies to penetrate European markets. The involved company PCAS-Canada is a world leader in the development of polymers, in particular with a strong experience in the manufacturing of azobenzene containing polymers. Its implication will be key in developing tailored photoactive molecules and fabricating optically tunable multifunctional nanostructured materials. The aimed applications can be also extended to other domains such as smart glasses and coatings, ophthalmic lenses, windows, solar-cells, etc.