Research in SPC

Modern society increasingly relies on polymers that cannot be recovered after use. Whether in agriculture, healthcare, coatings, personal care or advanced materials, these polymers operate in complex environments where recycling is often impossible. Designing the next generation of sustainable polymers therefore requires a new approach—one in which polymer function and polymer fate are engineered together.

At the Sustainable Polymer Chemistry (SPC) group, we develop innovative polymer chemistries and materials through molecular design, precision polymer synthesis and renewable feedstocks. Our research combines fundamental chemistry with application-driven materials science to create polymers that not only deliver exceptional performance during use but are also designed for their complete life cycle.

A particular strength of SPC is the development of polyphosphoesters, one of the world's most versatile classes of functional and degradable polymers, together with advanced lignocellulosic materials and circular phosphorus chemistry. By combining these molecular platforms with modern polymer synthesis, colloidal chemistry, materials processing and biodegradation science, we establish predictive relationships between molecular structure, material performance and environmental fate.

We develop sustainable polymer systems for applications where recovery after use is impossible. From agriculture and personal care products to coatings and biomedical technologies, we design materials whose performance and environmental behaviour are considered together from the molecular level onwards.

Different applications require different material lifetimes. We engineer polymer stability, degradation and recyclability through molecular design, transforming end-of-life from an afterthought into a programmable material property.

Tomorrow's sustainable materials require new molecular building blocks. We develop advanced polymer platforms based on polyphosphoesters, lignocellulosic polymers and circular phosphorus chemistry, providing the chemical toolbox for the next generation of functional polymer materials.

Our Vision

At SPC, we believe the future of polymer science lies in designing materials not only for how they perform, but also for how they transform after use.