Polymer Chemistry@TU Chemnitz

A woman presenting her poster.

Some of our group members had a great time at the MAKROMOLEKULAR Colloquium in Freiburg these past days. We shared and discussed some of our groups results with the scientific community through a poster contribution. Thanks for the stimulating exchange and inspiring talks!

#ChemSky #PosterSession

Time-Dependent Structure Assessment of Conjugated Polymer Aggregates in Solution by Single-Molecule Fluorescence Spectroscopy Monitoring and understanding the aggregation kinetics of n-type polymers provide strategies to favorably control aggregation and thereby optimize conjugated polymers ink shelf life, printability, and thin-film properties. Here, the in situ characterization of n-type copolymer aggregates employing ensemble absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy for spectral characterization, in combination with single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy methods to identify subcategories of aggregates, is reported. Specifically, we utilize a diffusion-based single-molecule burst method that resolves individual aggregates as they traverse the observation volume, allowing us to determine the aggregate size, concentration, and chain conformation through the statistical analysis of single-aggregate fluorescence data. Base-stable P(EO-NDIT2) with branched ether-based side chains self-assembles from molecularly dissolved chains into nano- to micrometer-sized aggregates over the course of weeks to months, depending on the solvent used. Through spectral decomposition and polarization-sensitive single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, the aggregates were categorized by their size into small (Rh approximately 60 nm) and large (Rh approximately 300 nm) aggregates and monitored with time. An increase in size was correlated with enhanced fluorescence brightness and red-shifted emission as well as an increase in internal order, as revealed by emission anisotropy. This increase in order within the aggregates may be related to alignment of crystalline domains and a planarization of the polymer backbone torsion.

New publication in ACS Macromolecules highlighting extraordinary long time aggregation processes over months in conjugated polymers.

#ChemSky #OrganicElectronics #SingleMolecule #Fluorescence

doi.org/10.1021/acs....

Welcome to the group, Dr. Harshita Sardana!
She joined us this month from IISc Bangalore, India, as a PostDoc working on fluorine-free anion exchange membranes. Great to have you with us!

#ChemSky #FluorineFree #membranes

The Image Shows a Lego Man as a Model for a situation during a PhD thesis

Many Lego serious Play Models

Self Made Sushi

International Food

I am most thankful to my group for being productive and their sustained efforts to keep diverse topics and analytical facilities centered around functional polymers for energy conversion and storage going. What a Christmas party we had with delicious international food and Lego serious play!

We had a fantastic speed-dating session between students and our group members today. Many thanks to the JCF for making this possible and helping students learn about our research areas and possible thesis projects within the group. Looking forward to new ideas and collaborations ahead!
#chemsky

Das Bild zeigt die Auftrennung von farbigen Produkten einer chemischen Reaktion mittels Dünnschichtchromatografie

On the quest to molecular defects forming during aldol condensations, Diego isolated some using prep TLC and reproduced the more recent part of the warming stripe pattern.

Molar Mass Improves the Performance of n-Type Organic Electrochemical Transistors We report on the synthesis and use of two side-chain-free ionenes with varying heteroatoms, PFu and PTh, for n-type accumulation-mode OECTs. Compared to PTh, PFu is more challenging to make, less stab...

New Open Access paper in Chem. Mater.: Collaborative work between Germany, Sweden & Korea on bispyridinium-phenylene ionenes shows how molar mass enhances n-type OECT performance.

#Chemsky #OECT #nTypePolymers #organicmixedconductors

🔗 pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...

Papers → published.
Pizza → served.
Celebrating our recent publications with a classic paper-pizza-lunch!
#Chemsky #lablife #papercelebration #scienceandpizza

Our study on fluorine-free poly(arylene piperidinium) AEMs featuring meta-terphenyl units is now published in ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces! Enhanced OH⁻ conductivity & mechanical strength support sustainable electrochemical devices.
#Chemsky #fluorinefee #anionexchange #polyelectrolytes #membranes

Celebrating a new publication in Advanced Electronic Materials: We investigate how polymer morphology and backbone conformation relate to thermoelectric performance in benzodifuranone-isatin polymers.

#Chemsky #conjugatedpolymers #thermoelectrics #organicsemiconductors #polymermorphology

Acing it at this years student representative councils volleyball turnament. Good luck to all the other teams - enjoy the sunshine and cool beer.

Summer sun accompanied us in the "Sächsische Schweiz" at this years group activity of the polymer chemistry group from TU Chemnitz.

#chemsky

Celebrating the newest publication of our coworkers Rukiya Matsidik and Andreas Seifert with a pizza lunch.

Its titled
Naphthalene Diimide and Pyromellitic Diimide Networks as Cathode Materials in Lithium-ion Batteries

doi.org/10.1002/marc.202401121

#chemsky #lithiumionbatteries

We celebrate the new publication of our colleague Annina Missikewitsch titled 'Mechanochromic Break Points Control the Toughness of Entangled Polyphenylenes'. It's showing mechanical engineering and prospects for self-healing materials.

doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.4c00810

#chemsky#mechanochromism

International collaborations are important, but the Young Chemists Forum (JCF) Chemnitz hosted a conference today to foster collaborations on the local level. Connecting young scientists within TUCs natural science department. Thanks for allowing our group to contibute to this great first event.

Our newest advances in mechanocromism and aggregation of semiconducting polymers are currently presented at the #MAKRO2025 in Freiburg. Meet our PhD students Annina Missikewitsch and Esther Schäfer there.

In the history of science there lie many Hidden Figures. Quite some are female or of color. Anna Tiefel from Regensburg honors their work by utilizing it to bring the topic of past and present inequalities to attention. Her lively talk organized by JCF inspires to shape a better future.

Cooperation is Key! @evaheviagroup.bsky.social highlighted in her GDCh Lecture on arene functionalization yesterday how cooperation is essential - not just between experimental and theoretical chemists, but mainly leveraging cooperation of diverse metal pairings. That's the power of teamwork!

Conveying the fascination of chemistry and natural sciences to graduating pupils – that's we successfully achieved today. We look forward to welcoming some of these pupils as new students at TU Chemnitz next semester.

Christmas jingle in the TUC Chemistry department - must be the annual staff CrISTmAs party. Great thanks to @teichertlab.bsky.social for organizing the event with an amazing riddle game chasing the keys opening the buffet.

From school to retirement - the participants at the "TUC explains Nobel Prize" listen intently to Martin Weigel and Martin Breugst (of @breugstlab.bsky.social) explaining this years physics and chemistry nobel prizes. Thanks for your efforts in science communications at TUC.

Some impressions from this years group Christmas event. It was an amazing evening, thank you all for joining.

Thanks to Elias Klemm from Stuttgart for coming to Chemnitz for another great GDCh Lecture. This time on his advances in the field of electrocatalytoc CO2 reduction.

Enjoying a great GDCH lecture by Johanna Heine from Marburg about lead-free semi-conducting metal halides and their unusual properties and chemical behavoir

It's always the days that pupils come to the lab, that you get to realize: The basic understanding of the world for a trained chemist seems to be MAGIC for the rest of the world.
In our case today it was only colors... not the actual world shaping science we do on a day to day basis in our lab.

We should make this a habit: First a great GDCh lecture on anisotropic thermal properties in colloidal materials by Markus Retsch. Followed by coming together, celebrating an amazing publication by Raphael Hertel and the now finally permanent position of our Scientific Assistent Rukiya Matsidik.

Enjoying the summer

Thanks to @breugstlab.bsky.social for inviting Steven Lopez from Northeastern University for his exiting @gdch.bsky.social talk on his groups approaches of harvesting the benefits of machine learning methods for investigating novel photochemistry reactions.

From Azerbaijan and Istanbul Technical University Hajar Komekoz joined our group recently. We are happy to win her for the HypMOL project. Her PhD research is going to contribute about the synthesis of block cooligomers for application in spintronic devices. Welcome!

Celebrating Patricias and Richards first papers. Congrats and thanks for the cheese.