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Research Zernike (ZIAM)

dr. Csaba Fodor: Polymers and Marcromolecular Materials Based on N-Vinylimidazole

When:We 04-02-2015 14:00 - 15:00
Where:5113.0202

Abstract

Synthetic polymers composed of repeating units with N-heterocyclic aromatic functional groups, like poly(N-vinylimidazole) are promising materials and belong to a rapidly rising sector of polymers. Such macromolecular materials have already been reported as useful polymers for a variety of potential applications that range from gene delivery systems, fuel cell membranes, metal ion imprinted materials, catalysts and catalyst supports, to ingredients of pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations.

The synthesis of tailor-made N-vinylimidazole polymers by biocatalytic Activator ReGenerated by Electron Transfer (ARGET) Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) polymerization will be presented, in which the commonly used transition metal catalysts were replaced with metalloenzymes.1-3 With the enzyme-catalyzed polymerization partially bromo-terminated polymers with low dispersities and predetermined structure and molecular weight could be prepared with very low residual metal ion content. Moreover the synthesis and characterization of the N-vinylimidazole based nanostructured macromolecular materials, namely amphiphilic conetworks (APCNs) will be presented.4-7 These kind of polymers are specifically composed of chemically bonded, otherwise immiscible hydrophilic and hydrophobic macromolecules. The cross-linked polymer structures provide unique nanophase separated morphologies, such as bi-continuous (co-continuous) nanophases in broad composition range, and as a consequence these materials possess unique properties. Utilization of these new polymer nanostructures as a novel material platform for the preparation of various special organic-inorganic nanohybrids will be also presented.