Biobased polymers
The research group Biobased Polymers follows two research concepts: -synthesis of the bioderived monomer building blocks and their incorporation into macromolecules using various polymerization techniques, and -development of new chemical routes for selective modification of bioderived macromolecules. Obtained bio-based macromolecules with tailored structure and architecture are used for the fabrication of sustainable functional polymer materials.

Research
Main research focus is on the design of sustainable polymer materials with adaptive mechanical properties, programmable degradation and stimuli-responsiveness exploiting the functionality of biobased building blocks. This is enabled by the synthesis of new functional macromolecules with a variety of architectures (homopolymers, block copolymers, branched polymers and microgels) via different synthesis approaches, like controlled free radical, ring-opening, cationic or step-growth polymerizations. The chemical modification of biopolymers (chitosan, pectin, dextran etc.) is realised using chemical and enzymatic approaches aiming to integrate selectively reactive groups, fluorescent dyes, binding peptides, etc. We investigate the structure-property relationships of obtained functional biobased macromolecules for application in engineering plastics, drug delivery systems, protecting coatings or plant protection systems.
Projects
Education
- Master Biobased Materials: Biopolymers (BBM 1015)
- Maastricht Science Programme: Organic Chemistry skills (PRA2002)
- Master Biobased Materials: Macromolecular chemistry: Biopolymers synthesis, modification and characterization (BBM1007)
- Master Biobased Materials: Surfaces and Interfaces: Modification and Spectroscopical Analysis (BBM1011)
- Supervision of bachelor thesis projects, Maastricht Science Programme
- Supervision of master thesis projects, master Biobased Materials
- Supervision of bachelor project periods, Maastricht Science Program
- Supervision of master projects periods, master Biobased Materials
- Member Educational Program Committee master Biobased Materials