Macro- and Supramolecular Chemistry
The Macro- and Supramolecular Chemistry cluster consists of 3 research groups, together they form the CMAC group:
Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials
The research of the Polymer Chemistry & Biomaterials Group (PBM) can be subdivided in the following research activities:
- Functional polymers for biomedical applications
- Biomaterials: e.g. biocompatible coatings
- Advanced drug/gene delivery systems
- Scaffolds for tissue engineering
- Biosensors and polymers for biophotonic applications
Polymer synthesis facilities are available to perform various types of polymerizations and characterization of polymer bulk properties. In addition, state-of-the-art equipment is available for surface modification & characterization. Furthermore, rapid prototyping (Bioscaffolder, fused deposition modelling), inkjet printing and a (co-extrusion) electrospinning device are available for polymer processing.
Polymer Chemistry
The key objectives of the Polymer Chemistry Research Group (PCR) can be described under the general heading “design, characterization and application of tailor-made, functional polymer structures and polymeric-derived materials”. Three main research themes can be distinguished:µ
- From polymer functionalization to absolute control
- Dynamic and self-healing polymeric materials
- Giving renewable polymers function(ality)
With our highly interdisciplinary approach, we are targeting novel, often industrially applicable polymer materials, for use in such areas as self-healing polymers, sustainable coatings, vitrimers, informatics, polymeric dispersants, packaging, particle design, recycling and reshaping.
Supramolecular Chemistry
The research of the Supramolecular Chemistry Group is inspired by the beauty of natural self-assembly processes. Nature exploits a limited number of building blocks in combination with non-covalent and hydrophobic interactions to build complex functional assemblies, such as proteins and cells. The research of this group aims to develop well-defined synthetic structures with controlled ordering and/or self-assembly resulting in functional systems. The use of synthetic building blocks allows a higher level of complexity when compared to the limited diversity in Nature. Moreover, the combination of well-defined ‘smart’ polymer structures with supramolecular interactions provides an ideal platform to develop functional systems for, e.g., sensors and diagnostics, drug delivery and responsive hydrogels. The research of the group can be subdivided in three main research directions:
- Supramolecular polymers
- ‘Smart’ responsive polymer structures
- Poly(2-oxazoline)s as pseudo-polypeptides
Application areas that are targeted include polymer therapeutics, diagnostics, drug delivery, biomedical devices, cosmetics, and personal care.