Nanodirect is a research programme funded under the 7Th Framework programme of the European Commission, under the Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and new Production Technologies theme (NMP).

The proposed research aims at developing a toolbox for direct self-assembly of nano-colloids. Different methods to drive and modulate self-assembly in nano-colloids will be developed, compared and evaluated. The toolbox will consist of the following elements :

1. Building blocks: model particles with varying shape, functionality
   

2. Directing Tools : Electric and Flow fields, surfaces and interfaces
   

3. Test and development methods : Experimental platforms adapted at nano-particle research and simulations methods, capable of dealing with a range of length scales.
   

Nanodirect is a collaborative project between groups of different backgrounds, ranging from chemistry, physics over chemical engineering to materials science. The teams have complementary expertise, ranging from nanoparticle synthesis, experimental approaches in applying external fields

If you want to read on the scientific state of the art on directed self-assembly of nanoparticles, a recent review has been published in the journal ACS Nano by some of the members of nanodirect : see http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/nn100869j , and results of the project so far are already described in more than 60 publications in peer reviewed journals, the references can be found on our publications page.