RSA CE&C 2015-2021 Group descriptions

82 Prospects Development of the research field The research within SFD is focused on stimuli-responsive materials and devices in health, energy and personal comfort. The group is among the front-runners in these areas, which include topics like responsive surfaces, soft robotics, haptics, adaptive windows, nanoporous membranes, LSCs and photonic materials. In an ever-changing environment, new societal needs arise, which has frequently inspired SFD to adapt its R&D strategy. The following novel topics were recently initiated with the prime objective of contributing to present and future societal needs in robotics and artificial intelligence, green energy, and a circular and sustainable society. Robotics, in combination with artificial intelligence, are expected to generate the third industrial revolution and influence the way we live, work and interact with each other in an unprecedented way. This requires new responsive and intelligent materials which provide feedback, information and creativity in response to our societal needs. Apart from new algorithms, intelligent materials are required that interact and communicate with and enhance human capabilities in data processing, decision-making and so on. Smart static and/or responsivewindows can reduce our energy consumption andCO 2 emissions, especially in urban environments. Current systems regulate the indoor climate in buildings and provide energy savings related to air conditioning and heating. In specific cases, they provide green electrical energy, although at a very low efficiency. A major breakthrough is expected if excess solar energy in the environment can be efficiently converted into green energy via windows. New synthetic routes to efficient down (or up) convertors based on quantum dots or multicomponent fluorescent molecules with large Stokes shifts can potentially enhance energy efficiency dramatically. Alternatively, recent progress in photon-to-phonon converters and thermal management can also potentially provide new routes to efficient energy generation via windows. The abundant use of synthetic macromolecular materials in our society has created severe environmental issues and more circular and environmentally friendly use of polymeric materials has become a major societal issue. Within SFD, new programs are being initiated to reduce the environmental impact of polymers and the main source of environmental concern, e.g., packaging materials. Past expertise in highly-aligned, defect-free systems is exploited to generate single-component, thermoplastic barrier materials which can be recycled without sacrificing performance. The prime objective is to avoid complex multilayer systems with organic, polymeric and inorganic layers, which is expected to facilitate separation, recycling and re-use. Additive manufacturing has become an established tool for prototyping and is increasingly used in responsive polymers. Within SFD, additive manufacturing is employed to screen new components based on self-organizing liquid crystals for microfluidic devices to create extended architectures for sensing, robotics and other applications. We are poised to make a significant impact in the field of 3D-printed LC elastomers to make 4D materials within the next year. Viability The SFD group started in 2010 and has grown into a very active group of scientists with complementary knowledge and skills in the field of responsive materials and devices. These stimuli-responsive materials can potentially contribute to a variety of future challenges and societal needs in fields related to green energy, health and sustainability. The group has secured ample research funding through bilateral projects with industry, national and European research programs, the DIRM research laboratory and the involvement in the ARC CBBC, the Dutch national research center for investigating chemical building blocks for novel sustainable