Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia (ICN2)

The Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2) is a private foundation with the objective of becoming a world-renowned centre for nanoscience and nanotechnology research. Within it, the Supramolecular NanoChemistry and Materials group (NANOUP) focuses its research interests on controlling the supramolecular assembly of molecules, biomolecules and nanoscale building blocks at the nanometer scale for the design of novel functional architectures and devices. The Group is therefore interested in using supramolecular chemistry as the underlying approach for exploring new methodologies that enable the synthesis of complex nanoscale supramolecular assemblies (mainly, Metal-Organic Frameworks –MOFs– and vesicles) with unprecedented structures, with interesting physical and biological properties and applications in diverse areas, including energy (e.g. gas storage), environment (e.g. pollutant removal), nanoencapsulation (e.g. long lasting fragrance), and biomedicine (e.g. drug-delivery systems and contrast agents).

In this context, NANOUP group has three major objectives according to its two high-level fundamental research lines and its one applied research line, which are:

(1) Development of porous nanoparticles based on Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) as advanced sorbents to be used as novel storage and drug-delivery systems, contrast agents, pollutant removals, and in separation and gas sequestration.
(2) Design and synthesis of novel nanocarriers based on colloidal systems (e.g. micelles and liposomes) for biomedical applications.
(3) Development and optimization of new products based on micro- and nanoencapsulation technologies to be transferred to the market - in close collaboration with companies.