This March brings the second international conference on multifunctional, hybrid and nanomaterials: Hybrid Materials 2011.

Hybrid materials represent a rapidly developing variety of functional material that are becoming increasingly important. They have demonstrated the potential to be applied to a number of key areas, including synthetic biomaterials and nanoelectronics.

The first conference in this series attracted 922 participants, and brought together researchers from around the world to discuss all aspects of hybrid materials science. This year promises to be no less diverse, catering to a plethora of scientists, including polymer and biomaterial researchers; colloid, solid-state and sol-gel chemists; and zeolite, meso- and microporous materials scientists.

Each day will begin with a plenary lecture from a leading academic in the field of functional adaptive materials, extracellular materials, hybrid materials energy, soft materials, or multifunctional organic-inorganic materials. This will be followed by three parallel symposia focusing on several critical areas.

The first symposium looks at biohybrids and biomaterials, and includes talks on bioinspired, biomimetic materials, biomineralization, green materials, and synthetic/biopolymer conjugates. Functional hybrid nanomaterials and nanocomposites are the subject of the second symposium, where sol-gel, functional nanoparticles, and polymer-matrix nanocomposites will all be discussed. Finally, the third session will examine functional porous materials, and will include contributions on zeolites, MOFs, mesoporous materials, foams, and hierarchically structured materials.

In total, the conference will consist of over one hundred talks, and several hundred poster presentations.

The conference takes place from Sunday 6^th March to Thursday 10^th March at the Palais des Congrès in the city of Strasbourg, France. The historic city of Strasbourg has been listed as World Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 1988, and is well known for its gothic architecture, many museums, and scenic waterways.

For more information visit: www.hybridmaterialsconference.com