Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (SPC)
Scientific staff: Prof. Dr. Frederik Wurm, Dr. Mark Hempenius, Dr. Hubert Gojziewski, Dr. Joost Duvigneau
Technical support staff: Clemens Padberg, Sep Schmid
Emeritus staff: Prof. dr. Julius Vancso
The Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (SPC) team develops molecularly programmable polymer materials with a focus on sustainability, circularity and functional performance. Research centres on the design of bio-based and biodegradable polymers, including systems derived from lignocellulosic feedstocks and polyphosphoesters, in which molecular architecture, sequence and functionality are precisely controlled through advanced polymerization and post-polymerization strategies.
A key objective is to establish predictive structure–property and -biodegradation relationships in complex environments, enabling translation of nanoscale features such as self-assembly, phase separation, responsiveness and encapsulation into macroscopic material performance. These concepts are applied across a wide range of systems, including functional polymer nanoparticles for delivery and imaging, coatings and packaging materials, flame-retardant polymers, and agrochemical and personal care formulations.
Increasingly, the group investigates how polymer performance is linked to material fate in realistic use scenarios. This includes applications where polymers are dispersed into biological or environmental systems and cannot be readily recovered, such as biomedical delivery, down-the-drain materials, or agricultural applications. By understanding transport, degradation and persistence under these conditions, SPC aims to design materials whose stability and transformation pathways can be programmed at the molecular level.
A distinctive aspect of the group is the integration of molecular design with processing, surface science and application-driven research. This enables the development of polymer systems in which functional performance, degradation behaviour and potential recycling strategies are co-designed. In the future, SPC aims to further expand sustainable polymer chemistry through greener synthesis routes and circular phosphorus materials, contributing to realistic circularity concepts and responsible use of polymers in complex real-world systems.