Research
Research interests

Kinetics of radical polymerizations
Laser-induced radical polymerization
Time-resolved determination of polymerization processes
Determination of rate coefficients in wide pressure, temperature and conversion regimes and their chain-length dependencies
Investigations into binary and ternary copolymerization systems
Modeling of industrial polymerizations
Polymerization of acrylic acid in aqueous phase
Modeling of polymerization processes using the simulation program package PREDICI©

Controlled radical polymerizations (Link)
Investigations into the mechanism and the kinetics of the 'Reversible Addition Fragmentation Chain Transfer' (RAFT) polymerization
Complex macromolecular architectures via RAFT polymerization
Molecular nano-carriers from star polymers
Controlled radical Polymerization from solid surfaces
Design of novel polymeric materials using controlled radical polymerizations
Controlled radical polymerization for industrial applications

Processes in supercritical fluid systems
Chemical processes in supercritical carbon dioxide and other supercritical fluids
Fluid-phase synthesis of estrone

Radical Polymerization in supercritical CO2
Copolymer synthesis in homogenous phase
Investigations into the influence of the reaction media (viscosity, solvation, ...) on the mechanism and kinetics of the individual reaction steps

Fluid-phase equilibria
Determination of the phase characteristics of ethylene-containing monomer - copolymer systems

Spectroscopy
Fundamental research into quantitative vibrational spectroscopy under extreme reaction conditions

Reaction kinetics
Determination of the decomposition kinetics and initiator efficiency of organic peroxides and azo compounds
Studies of the unimolecular fragmentation of peroxides via quantum-chemical calculations and picosecond-UV-pump-IR-probe-spectroscopy
Detailed investigations into the initiation mechanism via electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry

Research project description

Research equipment

Excimer laser

COMPex (Lambda Physik; XeF; 351 nm; max. 150 mJ/pulse; max. 20 Hz; 25 ns)
LEXtra 50 (Lambda Physik; XeF; 351 nm; max. 100 mJ/pulse; max. 30 Hz; 20 ns)
LPX 210i (Lambda Physik; XeF; 351 nm; max. 320 mJ/pulse; max. 100 Hz; 20 ns)
LPXpro 240 (Coherent; XeF; 351 nm; max. 120 mJ/pulse; max. 400 Hz; 20 ns)

Refrigerated centrifuge

Sigma 2-16PK (Sigma Laborzentrifugen; max. 15300 min-1)

High-pressure compressor

Opical cells for quantitative absorption spectroscopy

spectral range: infrared to UV; max. 7000 bar; max. 400 °C

Miniplant devices equipped with either a continuously stirred tank reactor or a tubular reactor for continuous high pressure ethene homo- and copolymerization

max. 3000 bar; max. 300 °C

Experimental set-up for the detailed determination of phase equilibrium with supercritical fluids

max. 2800 bar; max. 260 °C

Experimental set-up for detailed on-line studies into the decomposition kinetics of peroxides

max. 2000 bar; max. 250 °C

Tubular reactor set-up for polymerizations in supercritical fluid CO2

max. 400 bar; max. 200 °C

PREDICI© simulation program package for  the modeling of polymerization processes

Fourier-transform IR/NIR spectrometer

Raman and ATR module for the Fourier-Transform IR-NIR spectrometer

Gel permeation chromatograph

Differential scanning calorimetry

Material testing machine

zwicki Z2.5 (Zwick; max. 2.5 kN; max. 1000 mm/min)

Gas chromatograph

Density meter

Ubbelohde viscosimeter


Access to:

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometer Bruker ELEXSYS E500

Electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry

Femtosecond spectroscopy


Cooperation partners

University Cooperations:
Prof. R. A. Hutchinson (Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
Dr. I. Lacík (Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia))
Prof. G. T. Russell (University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand)
Prof. T. P. Davis (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia)
Prof. C. Barner-Kowollik (University of Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Deutschland)
Prof. V. Kaminsky (Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia)
Prof. R. G. Gilbert (University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia)
Prof. J. P. Vairon (Université Marie et Pierre Curie, Paris, France)
Prof. G. Sadowski (Technical University of Dortmund, Dortmund, Deutschland)
Prof. G. Schmidt (Clausthal University of Technology, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Deutschland)

Various company cooperations

last edited: Sept. 21, 2006