Adolphe Merkle Institute researchers have secured two Spark grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) to explore innovative materials with potentially transformative applications.  

AMI’s Chair of Polymer Chemistry and Materials, Prof. Christoph Weder, will investigate a new class of materials called elastic liquid metal gels, combining the properties of liquid metals (high thermal and electrical conductivity) with the mechanical characteristics of gels (elasticity and softness). The project aims to overcome the limitations of current liquid metal composites by creating gels where liquid metal is the primary component, with gelating agents forming a 3D network within the metal. This approach could yield extremely soft, stretchable, and conformable electronic materials with potential applications in heat transfer, soft robotics, wearable electronics, and biomedical devices.

Dr. Andrea Dodero, a group leader in AMI’s Soft Matter Physics group, will focus on developing novel laser materials using all-polymer spherical microcavities. These are comprised of  microspheres, invisible to the naked eye, that could produce laser light in a radial pattern, opening new possibilities for compact device integration. The process, if successful, could significantly reduce production costs and make advanced laser technology more accessible. The project design also suggests that these new laser materials would operate at remarkably low energy levels while still producing coherent light.

According to the SNSF, the aim of Spark grants is to fund the rapid testing or development of novel and unconventional scientific approaches, methods, theories, standards, and ideas. It is designed for projects that introduce a unique approach. The focus is on promising ideas of high originality for which preliminary data are not necessarily available and are unlikely to be funded under other existing schemes. Negative results will also be regarded as knowledge gained.