The project addresses the study of mesophases constituted of molecules, hereafter called "carbo-mesogens", built around a C18 carbo-benzene core. This new type of core includes the following features: all-carbon composition, hexagonal symmetry, extended flatness, high magnetic aromaticity, "acetylenic" flexibility, hollow discotic character (diameter ˜ 0.8 nm). Seeking for new types of thermotropic liquid crystals (LCs), the study will focus on carbo-mesogens 1,10-D2-C18Ar4 or 1,7,13-D3-C18Ar3, bearing 2 or 3 dispersion groups in quadrupolar or octupolar symmetry, respectively, where D = 3,4,5-(RO)3-C6H2-C=C-, R is a more or less fluorinated aliphatic chain of length n = 8, and Ar = 4-X-C6H4, X = H, CF3, CmH2m+1, 5 = m = 8. Beyond its discotic character anticipated to favor columnar phases, the quadrupolar version could also lead to other less ordered mesophases, expected to be more smectic than nematic in nature because of the much larger extent of the core as compared to that of the two dispersion groups. The more general objective is the study of supramolecular assemblies under various conditions, using appropriate analysis tools: crystalline phases (XRD), 3D LC mesophases (POM, DSC, TGA, synchrotron beam PXRD), 2D layer on HOPG surface (STM), in solution (NMR), or in silico (DFT calculations). The work will be systematically conducted in two stages by resorting to the specific expertise of each partner: synthesis and characterization of carbo-mesogens in Toulouse, studies of 3D and 2D mesophases in Taipei. In each series, quadrupolar or octupolar, the effects of the variation of the R and Ar substituents of the carbo-benzene core will be scrutinized. The C18 macrocycle of the latter being more circular than discoid (inner hollow van der Waals diameter = 3.5 Å), inclusion compounds are also naturally envisaged: guest species being supposed to provide specific optical, electric or magnetic properties, metal ions will be more specifically considered. The relevance of both the project and partnership is based on first results recently published reporting the synthesis, thermotropic properties and 2D supramolecular assemblies of the carbo-mesogen Ar = Ph, R = n-C12H25, and evidencing a rectangular columnar discotic LC behavior at 115°C. Preliminary theoretical results also suggest the stability and structural features of carbo-benzene-transition metal cation host-guest associations. While addressing poorly explored fundamental aspects ("carbo-supramolecular" chemistry), the project relies on a rational use of analytical tools that have not been applied in the carbo-mer series yet. After non-linear optics and electrical conductivity (ANR project funded in 2011), a new field of application of functional carbo-meric materials is explored: the field of liquid crystals, which, beyond a use in many commercial devices (e.g. LCDs), must more than ever face specific challenges by the design of novel types of mesogenic structures. The progress of the project is directed toward 4 general objectives (synthesis of carbo-mesogens, delineation of structure-property relationships for 3D and 2D supramolecular assemblies, uncovering of novel types of LCs, appraisal of cooperative effects between carbo-mesogen inclusion complexes), and based on four particular tasks (optimization of quadrupolar carbo-mesogens by variation of the Ar and R groups, exemplification of octupolar carbo-mesogens, study of carbo-mesogen-transition metal inclusion complexes).

The functional electroceramics market is multibillion pounds in value and growing year by year. Electroceramic components are vital to the operation of a wide variety of home electronics, mobile communications, computer, automotive and aerospace systems. The UK ceramics industry tends to focus on a number of specialist markets and there are new opportunities in sensors, communications, imaging and related systems as new materials are developed. To enable the UK ceramics community to benefit from the new and emerging techniques for the processing and characterisation of functional electroceramics a series of collaborative exchanges will be undertaken between the three UK universities (Manchester, Sheffield and Imperial College) and universities and industry in Europe (Austria, Germany, Russia, Czech Republic), the USA and Asia (Japan, Taiwan and Singapore). These exchanges will enable the UK researchers (particularly those at an early stage of their careers) to learn new experimental and theoretical techniques. This knowledge and expertise will be utilised in the first instance in the new bilateral collaborative projects, and transferred to the UK user communities (UK universities and UK industry). A number of seminars and a two day Workshop will be held to help the dissemination of knowledge.

Tony Skyrme proposed that under special circumstances it is possible to stabilize vortex-like whirls in fields to produce topologically stable objects. This idea, effectively of creating a new type of fundamental particle, has been realised with the recent discovery of skyrmions in magnetic materials. The confirmation of the existence of skyrmions in chiral magnets and of their self-organization into a skyrmion lattice has made skyrmion physics arguably the hottest topic in magnetism research at the moment. Skyrmions are excitations of matter whose occurrence and collective properties are mysterious, but which hold promise for advancing our basic understanding of matter and also for technological deployment as highly efficient memory elements. Following the discovery of skyrmions in a variety of materials, several urgent questions remain which are holding back the field: what are the general properties of the phase transitions that lead to the skyrmion lattice phase, the nature of its structure, excitations and stability and how might we exploit the unique magnetic properties of this matter in future devices? These questions have only recently begun to be addressed by several large international consortia and are far from being resolved. For the UK to contend in this highly competitive field a major project is required that brings together UK experts in materials synthesis and state-of-the-art theoretical and experimental techniques. We propose the first funded UK national programme to investigate skyrmions, skyrmion lattices and skyrmionic devices. Our systematic approach, combining experts from different fields is aimed at answering basic questions about the status of magnetic skyrmions and working with industrial partners to develop technological applications founded on this physics.