The thermodynamic study of chemical equilibria represents the core of many important branches of chemistry. Coordination and supramolecular chemistry, chemical speciation, molecular modelling, drug design are just few examples.
The importance of chemical equilibria, and chemical thermodynamics in general, results from the simple assertion that many properties of elements and compounds depend mainly on their interactions in a given system: the biological activity of an element or molecule, or their environmental impact can be explained by a detailed study of these interactions, whose nature and strength can be evaluated by chemical equilibrium and other thermodynamic studies. For example, speciation modelling based on chemical equilibrium data is commonly used in to improve commercial products performances, investigate the mobility of pollutants and toxicants in the environment, optimize industrial processes, explain the mechanisms of action of biologically active substances. Furthermore, advanced thermodynamic studies yield deeper insights into the mechanisms of these interactions.
NECTAR will combine the expertise of the large community of specialists working in this field, creating a network based on the stimulating collaboration between them, promoting knowledge exchange, and achieving high technological progress. All this will be accomplished through a fruitful collaboration between young researchers and experienced scientists, taking into consideration gender balance and maximal geographical distribution. Innovative and integrated theoretical and experimental approaches will be established and optimized.
Overall, the outstanding quality of obtained results will serve as benchmark for next decades, allowing their application in the above-mentioned fields and substantially impacting on life quality of next generations.