RSA CE&C 2015-2021 Group descriptions

Molecular Systems and Materials Chemistry (MSMC) 63 The controlled drying of monodisperse emulsion droplets containing colloidal silica nanoparticles and their subsequent assembly into mesoporous silica microspheres (MSMs) was investigated in situ using an optical microscope outfitted with a heating and vacuum stage. Quantitative imaging results on droplet shrinkage and observed contrast are compared with a theoretical mass-transfer model that is based on the droplet number density, solvent characteristics and temperature. The results presented here provide key insights into the time-resolved formation of MSMs and will enable an optimized direct synthesis of monodisperse MSMs for separation applications and beyond. 4. Sustainability We studied the possibilities of re-using plastics fromwaste, such as bymixing themwith virgin polymers. The focus is on the processability and mechanical properties of these recycled polymer systems, mainly looking at bulk polymers such as PE and PP but also with attention to engineering polymers such as (co)polyesters and (co)polyamides. The central theme is coupling the molecular aspects of the polymers with macroscopic dynamics and related properties. A mathematical approach based upon the physical and chemical principles of polymers is followed to perform data-driven analyses of properties as a function of structure and processing. By analyzing the complete value chain from design-for-recyclability all the way to end products and recycling opportunities, the aim is for the upcycling of polymers rather than downcycling so that materials are made and used in a responsible manner economically, environmentally and socially. Valorization and societal impact Besides funding from NWO and from the EU, the PC group receives significant funding (direct and indirect) from companies. The staff members have a wide network of connections with companies and regularly interact with them regarding possible collaborations, updates on running projects and consultancy. We mainly interact with the companies DOW, Altana-Byk, Sponsh, DSM, Unilever, Danone, ASML, AkzoNobel, Allnex, Nehmo-Trespa, Nouryon, Shell, Thermo Fisher, Clariant, Hexion and Rockwool-Grodan. Furthermore, the PC group is and has been involved in InSciTe, ARC CBBC, Soft Advanced Materials (SAM), M2i, OTP and TKI public- private partnership projects. Sponsh is a start-up company co-founded by Dr. Esteves. The product(s) of Sponsh are based on temperature-responsive polymer layers applied on substrates, which collect water from the air in low temperature conditions and release this water as the environmental temperature crosses a critical temperature (transition temperature). The company’s big aim is to provide water from the air to grow one billion young trees by 2040, largely contributing to reforestation, capture of carbon from the atmosphere and increased biodiversity. The company has won several highly respected awards, such as the Accenture Innovation Award (2018) in the category of nutrition and the Gouden Kiem (NWO, best chemical start-up of the year, 2018). Our group appears frequently in news media, like newspapers or C2W, and occasionally in television programs. Many of our MSc and PhD students and postdocs find positions in companies, often as researchers. Examples include Philips, Thermo Fisher, ASML, AkzoNobel, Sappi, Vetoro, Allnex, Nehmo, Albany, Fuji, DSM, Alyiancis, Becanex, Euramax and Wacker. Others have become teachers in high schools or have continued their careers as postdocs (e.g., at the University of Fribourg, l’ENS de Lyon, Utrecht University or MIT) or as staff members at universities (TU/e, WUR, Maastricht).