The research of the Mesoscale Chemical Systems (MCS) chair, headed by Han Gardeniers, originates from the group's unique expertise in micro and nanofabrication, backed by the outstanding experimental facilities of MESA+ NanoLab.
Focal points in the research are:
- The development of 3D nanostructures for solar to electricity to chemical conversion
- Nanostructured materials and microreactors for chemical process intensification (sonochemistry, photo-stimulated, electricity-driven)
- Miniaturized analytical tools and MEMS-based sensors for a variety of application fields (forensics, health, environment, chemical process control)
- Microfluidic systems for life science applications (e.g. drug delivery)
group activities
The research of the MCS team can be summarized by these three activities:
- Structure materials in 3D down to the nanometer scale
- Manage fluids at the mesoscale*
- Engineer microsystems with integrated functionality
*In physics and chemistry the mesoscopic scale is the length scale at which one can reasonably discuss material properties or phenomena without having to discuss individual atom behavior.
Collaborations
The group is a very active user of the NanoLab cleanroom facilities and collaborates with many of the groups participating in the nanotechnology research institute MESA+.
The MCS group is part of the research cluster Catalysis & Process Engineering, which besides MCS consists of the groups Catalytic Processes & Materials (CPM) Photo-Catalytic Synthesis (PCS), and Sustainable Process Technology (SPT). The group participates in several Centers of Expertise at the University of Twente, such as the Molecules Centre, the Piezo MEMS Centre, QUANT, and the Twente Centre for Advance Battery Technology.