Plenary Lectures

• Prof. Dr Sarah E. O'Connor, The University of East Anglia, School of Chemistry, Norwich, UK; Planck Institute of Chemical Ecology, Germany (group homepage)

Harnessing the chemistry of plants

Plants, which make thousands of complex natural products or specialized metabolites, are outstanding chemists: plants create incredible chemical complexity from simple starting materials. Medicinal plants are known to make molecules that can be used as medicines to cure cancer, pain and other diseases. Here we will highlight how plants make these molecules and how these biosynthetic pathways can be placed into an evolutionary and biological context. We will also discuss methods by which these pathways can be harnessed by metabolic engineering.

• Prof. Dr Javier García Martínez, Director of the Molecular Nanotechnology Lab at the University of Alicante, Spain; Founder and Chief Scientist of Rive Technology Inc, Boston MA, USA (group homepage, rivetechnology.com)

Discovery and commercialization of a new family of catalysts

• Prof. Dr Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, J. C. Warner University Professor of Natural Sciences and Director, Center for Macromolecular Engineering (group homepage)

LECTURE

Macromolecular Engineering by Taming Free Radicals

Macromolecular Engineering (ME) can be defined as a process comprising rational design of (co)polymers with specific architecture and functionality, followed by precise and efficient polymer synthesis and processing in order to prepare advanced materials with target properties. Preparative ME requires controlled / living polymerization. Radical polymerization could be very well suited for ME due to tolerance to many functionalities. Unfortunately, free radicals are difficult to be controlled, have very short life times (<1 s) and are involved in side reactions. Taming free radicals has been very challenging but was eventually accomplished via dynamic equilibria between minute amounts of free radicals and large pool of dormant species. Copper-based ATRP (atom transfer radical polymerization) catalytic systems with polydentate nitrogen ligands are among most efficient controlled/living radical polymerization systems. Recently, by applying new initiating/catalytic systems, Cu level in ATRP was reduced to a few ppm. ATRP of acrylates, methacrylates, styrenes, acrylamides, acrylonitrile and other vinyl monomers was employed for ME  of polymers with precisely controlled molecular weights, low dispersities, designed shape, composition and functionality. Examples of block, graft, star, hyperbranched, gradient and periodic copolymers, molecular brushes and organic-inorganic hybrid materials and bioconjugates prepared with high precision will be presented. These polymers can be used as components of various advanced materials such as health and beauty products, biomedical and electronic materials, coatings, elastomers, adhesives, surfactants, dispersants, lubricants, additives, or sealants. Special emphasis will be on nanostructured multifunctional hybrid materials for application related to environment, energy and catalysis.

Oral Presentations

Attendees selected by an expert panel will be able to present their work during a 15 minutes oral presentation. Parallel sessions are organised and they are divided into the following sessions: 

Poster Presentations

Two separate poster sessions are organised. Please keep a maximum poster size (A0 format) of 85cm (width) x 120cm (height).