PROJEKT  DeFlex

IP-2026-5435

Trajanje / Duration:

15.10.2026. - 14.10.2026.

Financiranje / Funding:

HRVATSKA ZAKLADA ZA ZNANOST

VODITELJ PROJEKTA / PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:

Prof. dr. sc. Marijana Đaković

INSTITUCIJE / INSTITUTIONS:

Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Prirodoslovno-matematički fakultet / University of Science, Faculty of Science

Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Teksitlno-tehnološki fakultet / University of Zagreb, Faculty of Textile Technology

Veleučilište u Karlovcu / Karlovac University of Applied Science

University of Warsaw

Stellenbosch University

NAZIV PROJEKTA / PROJECT TITLE:

Razjašnjenje fleksibilnosti kristala integriranim mehaničkim i mehanističkim pristupom

Decoding flexibility in crystals via an integrated mechanical and mechanistic approach

SAŽETAK / ABSTRACT:

The ability of crystalline solids to adapt to external stimuli is an exceptional yet still poorly understood property. Traditionally regarded as rigid and brittle, especially when governed by weak intermolecular interactions, crystals are expected to fracture under mechanical stress. However, recent findings reveal that certain crystals can exhibit unexpected mechanical flexibility, ranging from pronounced plasticity to remarkable elasticity. This emerging class of mechanoresponsive crystals positions crystalline materials as promising candidates for smart materials and advanced technologies. Nevertheless, their broader application is constrained by the lack of systematic mechanical-property data, quantifiable performance metrics, and a clear mechanistic understanding, which limits reliable comparison and rational design.
To overcome these limitations, this project proposes a highly integrative approach that combines advanced experimental techniques, innovative methodologies, uniquely engineered equipment for probing small crystalline samples under controlled strain, and theoretical modelling grounded in our recent work. Focusing on coordination polymer (CP) crystals—known to rival soft materials in mechanical behaviour while retaining long-range order—the research will systematically examine their mechanical response, structural adaptations, underlying mechanisms, and key material properties under variable external stimuli, primarily mechanical stress. By linking mechanical performance with mechanistic insight, this interdisciplinary effort will establish a robust framework that defines both the potential and limitations of these materials and provides clear design principles for their rational development for applications in functional devices and emerging technologies.

PROJEKTNI TIM / PROJECT TEAM:

PMF: Mateja Pisačić, Božena Tokić, Matteo Zausnig, Marko Pužar

TTF: Gordana Pavlović 

VUKA: Sanja Renka

UniW: Krzysztof Wozniak

UniS: Catharine Esterhuysen