General Topics

- Surfaces and Interfaces in Applied Solid State Physics/Chemistry and Materials Science: structures, physical properties and reactivity
- Nanomaterials: Carbon Nanotubes, Fullerenes, Nanostructured Materials, Nanopowders
- Advanced coatings and materials (wear and corrosion-resistant coatings, thermal barrier coatings, ceramic and powder metallurgy products, Low-e and high-e films, thermal managing materials, window materials, micro- and nano-composites)
- Surface and Interface Engineering for Devices and Systems (Surface and interface engineering for chips, printed circuit boards, flat panel displays, fuel cell, chemical cell, solar power system, sensors, micro-electromechanics, nanostructure fabrication system,)
- Reliability (Reliability evaluation for micro- and nano-system, Standardization)
- Surfaces of Biologically important systems: structure and physical properties
- Applied Surface Thermodynamics: Contact Angles and Surface Energetics
- Uniqueness of surface properties of colloidal systems to provide solutions to industrial problems
- Surfaces Imaging Techniques - Applied Microscopy
- Atomic description and manipulation of technologically important surfaces
- Biomaterials surfaces and Cell/proteins-Surface interactions
- Computational Physico/chemistry of Surfaces, Interfaces and Particles.
- Modelisation of Nanostructures-surfaces interaction
- Emerging tecnologies and applications: Remote and virtual surface analysis facilities
- Responsive Surfaces (Surfaces that respond to light, potential, pH and similar stimuli)
- Stability of Colloids (Aggregation, dispersion, rheology, adsorption on surfaces)
- Control of Surfaces and Interfaces far from Equilibrium (Deposition of atoms, molecules, and clusters onto a substrate, the removal of material from the surface, the bombardment of a surface with energetic particles, ion implantation, and milling processes) and technological applications (control the properties of the materials; i.e., to suppress phase segregation, produce a desired surface texture, or modify hardness and other elastic properties)

Surface and Interface Science

This general topic is concerned with applied physics and chemistry of surfaces and interfaces and with the atomistic description of processing, modification and characterization of surfaces, interfaces and thin films. These include growth and epitaxy, oxidation, reactivity as well as surface modification by directed energy deposition (lasers, ion or electron beams) or other techniques (i.e. plasma etching). Important areas in the field are electronic materials, (i.e. semiconductors, organic films, ceramics), chemical processes at surfaces, (i.e. catalysis, corrosion, reactivity), Biointerface science (Bio-Adhesive Surfaces, Cell-Surface Interaction, Theoretical Studies of Biosurfaces, Water in Biological Systems, Biosensors, Characterization of Biomaterial Surfaces, Surface Science of Medical Implants, Biological Interface & Surface Science, Protein Surface Interaction, Characterization of Biomaterials)


Other possible themes:

Surface Activity and Surfactant Structures, Attractive Forces, Electrostatic Forces and the Electrical Double Layer, Capillarity, Solid Surfaces, Liquid—Fluid Interfaces, Adsorption, Colloids and Colloidal Stability, Emulsions, Foams, Aerosols, Polymers at Interfaces, Association Colloids: Micelles, Vesicles, and Membranes, Solubilization, Micellar Catalysis, and Microemulsions, Wetting and Spreading, Friction, Lubrication, and Wear, Adhesion