CSMB Seminar: Tuning Polymer Function with Photons
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Center for the Science of Materials Berlin (CSMB)
Zum Großen Windkanal 2,
12489 Berlin
Lecture Hall 2.049
Prof. Fabian Eisenreich, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Where photons touch matter, innovation begins. This powerful interplay invites us to rethink how we design, use, and recycle the materials that shape our world. In this presentation, we explore how light – an abundant, clean, and precise energy source – drives sustainable technological innovation. At the core of this discussion is the development of a truly closed-loop photochemical recycling system, in which polymers are fully depolymerized into their original monomers and subsequently repolymerized – all powered by light. We further examine how light can be harnessed to reversibly control key properties of polymers, including their physical state and electrical conductivity. This dynamic, external control is essential for advancing emerging technologies such as 3D-printable materials and neuromorphic devices.
Taken together, these breakthroughs highlight the transformative role of light in shaping the future of sustainable materials science.