Aim and scope:
NIMS Conference 2014 focuses on “soft materials” contributing
to the fields of
environment and energy.
Soft materials –plastic, liquid crystals, gels, rubber, and so forth– are
important classes
of materials to support modern society as with hard materials, such as
metals and ceramics;
plastics are key soft materials useful for clothes, vehicles, and houses, and liquid crystals
have become the most popular material for displays. In addition, medical
contact lenses and
seismic isolation rubber, which attracted a lot of attention after the
earthquake, are also important soft materials. In the field of electronics
and information technology, OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) and fiber
optics depend upon organic and polymeric materials, and research projects
on these materials are underway in Japan. In the future, soft materials
will become indispensable materials for us.
The field of soft materials straddles the boundaries of many disciplines
of materials science, chemistry, physics, and biology; this includes synthesis
of new organic molecules and polymers, control of assembled structures,
building of principles and theories, evaluation of optical, electronic,
and mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and so forth. NIMS has recognized
the importance of soft materials in the 21st century and pursued research
projects for such materials in cooperation with researchers from different
fields.
Societal needs and demand for soft materials, however, are expanding rapidly. Lightweight and multicolor organic light-emitting materials are required for application in wearable display devices. In an aging society, implant materials made by fusion of hard materials with gel materials are essential to improve their biocompatibility and durability. Air and river pollution in Asian countries needs the development of environmental protection materials, such as high-performance filter and water treatment membrane, which are all dependent on new developments in soft matter.
In order to discuss these key issues, NIMS will organize the “NIMS Conference 2014” entitled “A Strong Future from Soft Materials” from July 1st to 3rd, 2014 in Tsukuba. This conference covers state-of-the-art organic and polymeric materials, optoelectronic functions of soft materials, interfaces comprised of biomaterials, and those contributing to the environment- and energy-related fields.
We hope this conference will provide new insight and ideas in materials science based on organic and polymeric materials.