FP6 - 500311 PSY-NANO-SI - Nanosilicon-Based Photosynthesis for Chemical and Biomedical Applications

Contacts




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Chemical Conversion : Fine Chemicals : Nanotechnology : Nanotechnology and Materials

Type of Project	STREP
Contract No	FP6 - 500311
Total Cost	2,550 KEuro
EC Contribution	1,650 KEuro
Start Date	23-2-2005
Duration	36 Months

Abstract

This project brings together two most common and apparently well-studied elements on the Earth - silicon and oxygen. Both are most important for human life: oxygen mediates biochemical reactions while silicon is the most important technological material. The project claims to explore a new type of interaction among these elements, though in their artificially created forms (silicon converted into nano-Si - with small Si clusters connected into highly porous network, and oxygen excited into highly reactive singlet state).

This project will addresss fundamental issues of physics (optics of nano-structured semiconductors, energy transfer between molecules), chemistry (photo-chemical reactions mediated by singlet oxygen with molecules, electrochemistry of porous semiconductors, surface reactions), biology (photo-oxidation of bio-molecules) and medicine (photo-stimulated apoptosis of living cells). Therefore, it will contribute to the advancement in these fields of science and will ensure continuous break-through innovations in important issues of human well-being.

Technological frontiers to explore are application of highly reactive singlet form of oxygen molecule generated by nano-Si in a variety of fields vital for the improvement of human life: curing of severe diseases, fine organic synthesis, protection of environment.

Specific Scientific and Technological Objectives of the project include:

• Research and development of new process of singlet oxygen generation employing nano-Si as sensitiser.
• Development of efficient and safe photo-sensitizers based on nano-Si.
• Exploration of the possibilities to use nano-Si photo-sensitisers in Photo-dynamic therapy of cancer.
• Application of nano-Si photo-sensitisers in organic synthesis and Biological applications.

The project explores two fundamental discoveries made by consortium members: generation of singlete oxygen by nano-Si and its biodegradability.

Coordinator

Universidad Politecnica de Valencia (Technical University of Valencia) Department of Materials Science / R&D Center, Materials and Technologies of Microfabrication, Spain

Partners

• pSiMedica Ltd, United Kingdom
• M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russian Federation
• Faculty of Engineering, Kobe University, Japan
• Technische Universitat Muenchen, Germany
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

Contacts

Contact

• Vitali PARKHUTIK / Universidad Politecnica de Valencia Department of Materials Science / SPAIN