Aleksandra Mašulović, a researcher at the University of Zaragoza working at the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA) (CSIC-UNIZAR), has developed the European project BCLC-TANGO, focused on creating functional soft materials from molecules capable of self-organisation.
This line of research will continue in Aragon through the COLLIVE project, funded by the Ramón Areces Foundation.
19 October 2026. Is it possible to design intelligent molecules capable of organising themselves and “dancing” with one another to form materials with entirely new properties? This is one of the questions addressed by BCLC-TANGO, a European project carried out at the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA), a joint institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza, by researcher Aleksandra Mašulović under the supervision of Professor Blanca Ros, both researchers at the University of Zaragoza.
Funded by the European Union through a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, the project has explored new ways of creating intelligent soft materials at the nanoscale using angular-shaped molecules, known as bent-core molecules, and harnessing their ability to self-organise.
The principal researcher, Aleksandra Mašulović, chose Aragon as the place to develop a promising idea that, broadly speaking, can be compared to a molecular construction puzzle.
Rather than building a structure by assembling every component one by one, researchers design the individual building blocks so that specific interactions between them enable them to recognise one another and spontaneously arrange themselves in a predetermined way. The goal is to obtain structures with tunable properties, opening up new possibilities for the future development of functional materials.
Indeed, the full name of the project, Bent-Core Liquid Crystals & Tailored Aggregates and Nanostructures Generated Orthogonally (BCLC-TANGO), plays on the idea of a molecular self-assembly “dance”. Its overall objective has been to develop functional soft materials by exploiting different self-organisation processes of these angular molecules.
From molecules to new nanomaterials
BCLC-TANGO has covered the entire pathway from molecular design to the production and processing of a new material. The project was structured around three major objectives: designing and synthesising new molecules and controlling their self-assembly; characterising the resulting supramolecular materials and identifying their functional properties; and investigating different processing methods using both conventional and advanced techniques.
Through this approach, the research has explored a range of architectures, from liquid crystals to fibres, nanotubes, nanospheres, gels and ultrathin films, by modifying molecular design and the conditions under which the molecules organise themselves.
This versatility is particularly significant because, in these materials, the way molecules arrange themselves can determine the final properties of the material as a whole. The project investigated, among other aspects, the optical, electrical and mechanical properties, as well as the supramolecular chirality of the resulting structures.
In the long term, these materials could contribute to the development of new technologies, including sensors capable of detecting changes in their environment, optical devices that control light, more efficient displays, and materials that respond to external stimuli such as temperature or light. Furthermore, the possibility of combining these properties with 3D printing techniques opens up new opportunities for manufacturing miniaturised devices and functional components with tailor-made properties.
The research therefore combines organic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, materials science and advanced processing techniques, including both 3D and 4D printing technologies.
International research based in zaragoza
BCLC-TANGO was carried out within the Liquid Crystals and Polymers (CLIP) research group at INMA (CSIC-Unizar). The project also included a research stay at the Institute for Molecular Systems Engineering and Advanced Materials (IMSEAM) at Heidelberg University, within the group led by Professor Eva Blasco, specifically aimed at strengthening work related to advanced materials processing.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, one of the European Union’s flagship programmes for supporting research careers, play a fundamental role in attracting scientific talent and promoting the internationalisation of research institutions. As part of the Horizon Europe programme, they fund projects that encourage international mobility, advanced training and professional development for researchers, while also fostering knowledge exchange and collaborative networks between institutions.
The completion of BCLC-TANGO does not, however, mark the end of this line of research in Zaragoza. Mašulović remains affiliated with the University of Zaragoza through INMA and, from December onwards, will join the project Dynamic Liquid Crystal Colloids with Biomimetic Actuation, Recognition and Adaptation Properties (COLLIVE), funded by the Ramón Areces Foundation and led by Alberto Concellón.
In this way, the trajectory initiated through BCLC-TANGO will continue beyond the duration of its European funding and reinforces one of the key objectives of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: promoting international mobility, advanced training and professional development for researchers while generating new research networks and opportunities. The project plan itself identified among its objectives the establishment of international collaborations, the strengthening of the researcher’s career, and the creation of new research and funding opportunities.
Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence
The Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute (INMA) was the first institution in the Autonomous Community of Aragon to receive the prestigious Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation awarded by Spain’s State Research Agency. This recognition includes funding of €4.5 million and the provision of five predoctoral contracts for the 2024–2028 period.
INMA is a joint institute of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Zaragoza. With around 300 members, it currently runs more than 40 European projects and produces an average of 300 scientific publications per year, while securing approximately €7 million annually through competitive public funding programmes. In addition, it collaborates closely with industry, generating around €1 million per year through contracts and royalties.
19-10-2026
