Born in the UK, Prof. Nicholas D. Spencer studied atCambridge University, obtaining his PhD in 1980 from the Department of PhysicalChemistry in the area of gold and silver surface chemistry. Subsequently, hespent two years at the University of California, Berkeley, where heinvestigated the catalysis of ammonia synthesis by iron single crystals. From1982 until 1993, Nicholas Spencer worked for W.R. Grace & Co., USA, in theareas of catalysis, high-temperature superconductors, surface analysis, andvibrational spectroscopy. He was also active as an adjunct professor at theUniversity of Maryland during this time.

Nicholas D. Spencer was elected Full Professor ofSurface Science and Technology at the ETH Zurich in 1993. From 1996-1998 andfrom 2002-2006 he served as Chairman of the Department of Materials. From2005-2007 he was the first Director of the ETH Materials Research Center. From2007 to 2015 he was President of the ETH Research Commission.

The principal areas of his research arebiocompatibility, tribology, and surface functionalization and analysis.Important surface-analytical approaches used in his group include x-rayphotoelectron spectroscopy, the surface-forces apparatus, atomic forcemicroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy and several methods for thecharacterization of the liquid-solid interface. He is editor-in-chief of thejournal Tribology Letters, editor of an encyclopedia of physicalchemistry and chemical physics, and a member of the editorial board of thejournals Tribology, Tribology International, andLubrication Science. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society ofChemistry (UK) and member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences.

报告摘要：

Cartilage represents an exquisite, naturaltribological structure. It can withstand substantial loads (e.g. in our kneeswhen jumping), ensures low friction and negligible wear for decades, and doesthis without a blood supply! We don’t yet know all the subtle secrets ofcartilage, but those we know, we would like to imitate with synthetic polymers.The short-term goal is that we will come up with new, highly lubriciousmaterials that could have industrial applications. The long-term hope is thatwe will enable the fabrication of materials that can be implanted, to replacecartilage in knees and hips that has been damaged by injury or disease.

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