2D cRystals On a Puddle

亚稳相是我们生活中的关键：大多数有机化合物的凝聚相都是亚稳的，包括脂质和蛋白质。然而，亚稳相通常很难获得，也很难在应用中进一步开发，因为它们被小的能量势垒隔开，寿命很短。在有机化合物的情况下，亚稳态形式（多晶）的存在使得控制晶体的大小，形状和结构非常具有挑战性，这最终决定了它们的物理性质。在开发和设计允许控制多态性的技术方面已经花费了大量的精力。最吸引人的策略之一是基于约束，通过使用毛细血管、微孔材料、纳米孔介质和表面来实现。然而，通过限制对尺寸和多态性的控制仍然没有完全理解，这限制了这些晶体在应用中的进一步开发。2DROP专注于一种突破性的方法，该方法将能够在薄分子层中获得结晶，并对晶体组成、结构和厚度进行微调，甚至可能达到单层。这种方法将用于在极端约束下获得结晶的见解，其中介质的离散性预计会出现；建立一种制造复杂晶体（如二维结晶聚合物）的新方法，绕过液界面合成的限制，并允许将这种新晶体集成到器件中；最后，建立一种突破性的方法来制造和摄入药物，这将确保生物利用度和剂量个性化。2DROP将建立一项颠覆性技术，其成果将在软物质、胶体化学、化学工程、材料科学、纳米技术和电气工程等多个领域引起强烈兴趣。这个强大的多学科项目充分体现了PI的独特背景。

Metastable phases are key in our life: majority of condensed phases of organic compounds are metastable, including lipids andproteins. However, metastable phases are typically very difficult to access and to further exploit in applications, as they are separated by small energy barriers and have very short lifetimes. In the case of organic compounds, the presence of metastable forms (polymorphs) makes very challenging to control the crystal's size, shape and structure, which ultimately determine their physical properties. A large effort has been spent in developing and designing techniques that allow to control polymorphism. One of the most attractive strategy is based on confinement, achieved by using capillaries, microporous materials, nanoporous media, and surfaces. However, the control of size and polymorphism by confinement is still not fully understood, by limiting further exploitation of these crystals in applications.2DROP focuses on a ground breaking approach that will enable to access crystallization in thin molecular layers and to fine-tuning the crystal composition, structure and thickness, possibly down to the monolayer. This approach will be used to get the insights on crystallization under extreme confinement, where the discrete nature of the medium is expected to arise; to establish a new way to make complex crystals, such as 2D crystalline polymers, bypassing the limitations of liquid-interface synthesis and allowing the integration of such new crystals in devices; and, finally, to establish a ground breaking way to manufacture and ingest drugs, which will ensure bioavailability and dose personalization.2DROP will establish a disruptive technology whose results will be of strong interest in several fields, ranging from soft matter,colloidal chemistry, chemical engineering, material science, nanotechnology and electrical engineering. This strong multidisciplinary project fully reflects the unique background of the PI.