The collaboration, led by Kenichiro Itami<\/a> at RIKEN<\/a>, a leading research institute in Japan, and supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency\u2019s JST-ASPIRE program<\/a>, brings together researchers working across molecular nanocarbon science, structural biology, supramolecular chemistry, and interface chemistry in Canada, Japan, and Europe.<\/p>\n Researchers at Queen\u2019s, including Farnaz Heidar-Zadeh<\/a>, Chantelle Capicciotti<\/a>, and Taleana Huff<\/a>, will contribute to different aspects of the work as it develops, expanding the range of approaches used to study these systems.<\/p>\n Through this network, Queen\u2019s researchers are working with international partners and facilities while advancing C2MCI\u2019s work on NHC-stabilized nanoclusters and polymer-based coatings for demanding environments.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we understand how these interfaces behave, we can begin to design molecules that make those connections stronger and more reliable,\u201d says Dr. Crudden. \u201cThat is where new possibilities start to emerge.\u201d Student exchanges expand research opportunities<\/p>\n Student and researcher exchanges are a central part of the program, with early connections already taking shape across the network. Graduate students Andrew Laluk and Hannah Aubin from Crudden\u2019s lab were among those engaging with international partners at the project\u2019s first symposium in Japan.<\/p>\n Participants at the CoMBiS symposium in Wak\u014d, Japan.<\/p>\n Held at RIKEN in Wak\u014d, the symposium brought together researchers from Canada, Japan, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Korea to begin aligning research priorities and building collaborations.<\/p>\n Nancy Ross<\/a>, Vice-Principal (Research) at Queen\u2019s, opened the symposium with remarks on the importance of sustained investment in research and international collaboration.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis partnership builds on expertise at Queen\u2019s and connects it with leading research groups internationally across chemistry, biology, and materials science,\u201d says Ross. \u201cIt strengthens the work underway here while expanding opportunities for students and early-career researchers\u00a0<\/a>to engage in interdisciplinary research.\u201d<\/p>\n The event also featured a keynote lecture by Crudden on Organometallic-inspired Organic Materials, which highlighted how C2MCI is stabilizing metal surfaces and clusters using carbon-based approaches. The discussions marked an early step in coordinating research across the partnership.<\/p>\n As part of the program, the Crudden, Heidar-Zadeh, Huff, and Capicciotti research groups will host students from Japan, while sending Queen\u2019s highly qualified personnel to partner institutions in Japan, Germany, and Spain. Students joining Queen\u2019s labs will bring techniques from their home institutions to expand the project\u2019s research themes. The program will run for at least three years, with the first student exchanges already being arranged.<\/p>\n
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