RSA CE&C 2015-2021 Group descriptions

Molecular Systems and Materials Chemistry (MSMC) 91 Valorization and societal impact The research group has selected a number of themes with high relevance for important societal topics such as water purification, tissue engineering and the development of reusable polymeric materials. The industrial relevance of the activities can be witnessed in joint publications with industry, the sabbatical leave of a staff member to work in industry and direct funding from industry, DPI and public-private collaboration programs (NWO-TA). The PhD students that graduated from the group between 2013-2018 have found employment in diverse chemical industries, including at Dow, Fuji, SAPPI and SABIC. A smaller number of students and postdocs have proceeded to academic positions in China, Germany and the Netherlands. Research facilities The infrastructure and equipment of the group is shared with colleagues of the Molecular Science and Technology (MST) division of Eindhoven University of Technology and is state of the art in organic synthesis, polymer synthesis and material characterization. MST has outstanding analytical equipment, including four NMR spectrometers (200-500 MHz), ESI and MALDI MS, state-of-the-art chromatographic techniques for analytical and preparative scale work and full capabilities for optical spectroscopy. All instruments can be used by the team due to the unique collaboration between organic and polymer chemists in MST and the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems. Further infrastructure for mechanical characterization and testing is accessible through our TU/e partners in the Eindhoven Polymer Laboratories (EPL). Prospects Development of the research field and viability Since its establishment as an independent research group in 2007, the Supramolecular Polymer Chemistry group has developed a coherent and very successful program at the forefront of international developments in polymer materials. Mechanochemistry research has found resonance internationally and our group has played a substantial role in stimulating researchers to enter this field. The topic has inspired the development of new, advanced tools from organic chemistry to further the field of polymer science and to support material scientists in gaining a deeper understanding of the failure of polymer materials. In this area in particular, we expect to be able to contribute to important developments. Concurrently, the research activities on vitrimers and self-healing materials are well-positioned in vibrant research areas that promise to provide important contributions to societal priorities such as a circular polymer economy and technological developments such as additive manufacturing (3D printing). More recently, the successes in our fundamental research on strain-stiffening gels and on nanostructured films has opened the way to employing these materials in the biomedical field (stem cell differentiation) and in water purification respectively. Finally, more industrially-focused research, especially in the fields of re-processable thermoplastics and heterogeneous polymerization techniques, is expected to play an increasingly important role, with a number of collaborative initiatives underway. Viability The strengths of the group derive from, among other things, the complementary expertise of the permanent staff members Sijbesma and Heuts. In the reporting period, the group has established and reinforced collaborations that strengthen the prospects for long-term developments and success. Examples of these collaborations include work with the SFD and