VERIFYING THE PRECISION OF COMPLEX POLYOLEFIN STRUCTURES

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Albena Lederer
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 470275702

This project aims at the comprehensive understanding of the structural complexity and precision of multifunctional copolymers. Forthis purpose, dendritically branched polyolefins synthesised using the chain walking catalyst approach will serve as a highly hydrophobic core. These polyolefins will be modified with hydrophilic linear chains for the development of precisely structured amphiphilic copolymers. Different synthetic pathways will deliver a library of end-chain and in-chain functionalized polyolefin block and graft copolymers with systematically varied reaction parameters. For the verification of the precision of these structures, advanced analytical separation techniques will be optimised and applied to distinguish between polyolefin homopolymer with different functionalization degree, graft and block copolymers as well as their segmental distributions and conformation properties. The analytical focus of these studies will be on the optimisation and development of comprehensive, high temperature liquid chromatography separation based on interaction chromatography for comprehensive analysis of the branching topology. Combination with size exclusion chromatography will enable correlation between branching topology, modification degree and size/conformation of the copolymers. Complementary fractionation gives rise to an orthogonal structural analysis using spectroscopy and microscopy. The precise characterization of systematically synthesised, multibranched copolymers will allow for in-depthunderstanding of the influence of the reaction conditions on their structural and topological properties. Improved analytical tools willopen up new avenues for validation of the impact of multiple structural distributions in multifunctional materials on their implementation in high-end applications.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Czech Republic
• Partner Organisation: Czech Science Foundation
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Jan Merna