"From Flatland to Spaceland“: Towards Advanced, 3-Dimensional Materials Bottom-Up, from Polymer Decorated Nano- and Microstructures (UT and TU/e)
- Project leader: prof.dr. Julius Vancso (Materials Science & Technology of Polymers, UT) & prof.dr. Bert de With (Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, TU/e)
- Postdoc: dr. Maciek Kopeć (now at University of Bath)
- Project member: dr. Joost Duvigneau (UT)
- International expert: prof. Krzysztof Matyjaszewski (Carnegie Mellon University)
'Control of Molecular Structure and Function for Designer Polymers' by Maciek Kopeć. [Innovative Materials, 2019, 3, pp. 24-28 (Pdf file)]
In C2W, the biweekly magazine Chemisch2Weekblad, one can read an interview with prof. Krzysztof Matyjaszewski: 'Je moet het spul wel kunnen maken' (Arjen Dijkgraaf, 9 May 2016).
Early February 2016 prof. Krzysztof Matyjaszewski has been visiting the Netherlands. He gave lectures at the University of Twente (Pdf file, poster) and at Eindhoven University of Technology.
Abstract
In this program we propose to develop a new class of functional and responsive hierarchical materials platforms by decorating inorganic nano- and micro-objects with designer polymer grafts in controlled, surfaceinitiated, free radical polymerizations, and use them to construct three dimensional (3D) functional advanced materials systems across the length scales. The key to this program will be the development and applications of novel approaches of surface initiated, controlled free radical polymerizations. We shall host Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski as Visiting Distinguished Professor, who will support us to provide an impulse and reach the next level in the development of the enabling related polymer chemistries. In addition to synthetic developments, the molecular characterization of the resulting grafts, molecular crowding effects on curved substrates, and superstructures for graft constructs from simple nanostructures to complex 3D morphologies will be explored.
Computer modelling and simulations will be employed to obtain design principles for new, complex polymer platforms. The platforms and simulations to be developed will enable us to focus on four work packages including (a) functional, chemically modified nanoparticles in smart nanocomposites; (b) core-shell functionalized nanoparticles (including smart nanoparticles) as nucleating agents for cells in polymer foams as new generation high performance insulating materials; (c) functionalization of 3D polymeric scaffolds for regenerative medicine by binding bioactive proteins to polymer surface grafts; and (d) engineering photonic 3D crystals with responsive polymer grafts functionalized with semiconducting fluorescent nanoparticles (Quantum Dots) to obtain encapsulated fluorophore emitters in photonic structures. This program is supposed to make a strong impact on the Dutch materials science field by sharing anticipated results and expertise of Professor Matyjaszewski within the nanomaterials and the chemical engineering communities.
Postdoc
Maciek Kopeć was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Twente, supervised by prof.dr. Julius Vancso (Materials Science and Technology of Polymers, University of Twente), working on the project ''From Flatland to Spaceland': Towards Advanced, 3-Dimensional Materials Bottom-Up, from Polymer Decorated Nano- and Microstructures', funded by the 4TU.HTM research programme 'New Horizons in Designer Materials'.