Many dyes in nature, for example β-carotene in carrots or chlorophyll in leaves, are very colorful substances because their chemical design contains alternating single and double bonds. In conjugated polymers, this single-double bond pattern is used to take advantage of the interaction that these materials have with photons and electrons. This feature enables their use in technological applications such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, transistors, and batteries.
Because conjugated polymers are synthetic materials, their chemical design and therefore any material property can be infinitely tailored, including their interactions with foreign materials. Our research is very curiosity-driven, where we want to combine green synthesis of conjugated polymers together with stimuli-responsive designs to investigate complex electro- and photoactive hybrid materials.
Conjugated polymer Chemistry
We develop green chemistry & chemical functionalization of conjugated polymers and explore photo- and electroactive stimuli-responsive hybrid materials.
Research
Functionalized Conjugated Polymers
One part of our research investigates how the incorporation of functional groups into conjugated polymers can be used to tailor their interactions with external stimuli, foreign materials and biological systems, as well as the properties of such hybrid materials and concomitant electronic devices.
Many materials in nature have a chemical design that make them either very polar, or water is an integral part of their structure, for example cells. In addition, water is the most benign solvent for processing materials. Also, many applications require a material to be resistant to water after processing, and nowadays even recoverable to improve waste handling. Therefore, we focus on the synthesis of water-processable conjugated polymers but use functional groups that are stimuli-responsive. One example is the material that we call PCAT-K, a water-soluble conjugated polymer that can be reversibly crosslinked with benign acid-base chemistry. This allows us to ingress this conjugated polymer into a cellulose scaffold and create an electroactive hybrid material that can be recovered at end-of-life. Two WWSC-funded PhD students in the group, Johanna and Asaminew, are designing and synthesizing these conjugated polymers and exploring these materials in cellulose hybrid materials. Cecilia, a postdoc in the group, studies the interaction of these materials with oxygen, a project that is funded by WISE.
Not only does PCAT-K interact through hydrogen bonding! In a recent collaboration with the Fabiano group, the electronic interaction between PCAT-K and BBL (a water-insoluble polymer), results in BBL being processable from water (Nature Communication 2023).
Representative publications: Nature Materials 18, 149–155 (2019), Advanced Science 8, 2002778 (2021), Nat Commun 14, 8454 (2023).
Green Chemistry of Conjugated Polymers
Another part of our research focuses on developing green synthesis of conjugated polymers by exploring bio-based building blocks and enzyme catalyzed functional group transformations.
While some efforts have recently been made to use renewable synthons to synthesize CP’s, they typically focus on 6-membered ring heterocycles that result in CP’s with poor electrical properties. Instead, we use a retrosynthetic approach to select appropriate renewable synthons that target conjugated polymers designs based on 5-membered ring heterocycles. The goal is to create a library of renewable synthons that yield green conjugated monomer/polymer designs and investigate their opto-electronic properties. This project is explored by Rio and funded by WWSC.
Enzyme catalysis in conjugated monomer synthesis
Enzymes are nature’s incredibly efficient catalysts that have many unexpected catalytic functions, with the potential to create green(er) synthetic routes for conjugated monomers and polymers. We are investigating enzyme catalysis for the synthesis of aromatic monomers and perform further functional group modifications on these monomers with enzymes. The goal is to create an enzyme catalysis toolbox that can be used for conjugated monomer synthesis. This project is explored by Aatika and funded by FORMAS.
Representative publications: This is a new research direction in the Conjugated Polymer Chemistry group, so stay tuned for published work.
People
Johanna Heimonen – PhD student (2021)
What are you working on in the lab?
I am working on the synthesis of conjugated polymers for forest-based:conjugated polymer hybrid materials. Aside from doing research, I also engage a lot in teaching, mainly for the foundation year in chemistry.
What do you like to do in your free time?
When I am not in the lab trying to make as many chemistry puns as possible, I entertain myself by poledancing, horseriding, gaming and hanging with friends.
What is your favorite molecule?
My favorite molecule is water! It looks like Mickey Mouse ears, it is necessary for life but also deadly, it is the greenest solvent and yet one of the most annoying ones, what more can you ask for?
Aatika Sadia – PhD student (2022)
What are you working on in the lab?
I work on enzyme-catalysis for the synthesis of conjugated monomers.
What do you like to do in your free time?
My hobbies include photography and graphic designing. I like playing with software dealing with visualizations. Other than this I often spend time walking around in the city and discovering new things.
What is your favorite molecule?
My favorite molecule….it must be diethyl ether simply because it’s easy to evaporate. 😊
Cecilia Bruschi – Postdoc (2023)
What are you working on in the lab?
I have been a visiting PhD (2022) who joined the Conjugated Polymer Chemistry group after my defense as a postdoc. I study doping processes and interactions of conjugated polymers with oxygen.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like watching tv series, going hiking, dancing Zumba and listening to music
What is your favorite molecule?
My favorite molecule is azobenzene because it is the first one that I characterized and studied during my bachelor and it shows an interesting photoisomerization process.
Asaminew Shimolo – PhD student (2023)
What are you working on in the lab?
I work on the synthesis of conjugated polymers for recyclable electroactive cellulose coatings.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Outside of the lab, I read non-academic books, watch movies and mostly I do martial arts and sometimes go to the gym.
What is your favorite molecule?
As a polymer chemist, my favorite molecule is thiophene. It is an aromatic compound which enables me to do a lot of structural modification and functionalization. It is an essential element in the backbone design of many conjugated polymers.
Rio Abdurrahman – PhD student (2023)
What are you working on in the lab?
I work on the synthesis of conjugated polymers from forest-based synthons.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love photography, especially capturing landscapes. Whether it is a sunrise over a lake or a sunset behind mountains, I enjoy framing these beautiful moments. I also enjoy hiking, which keeps me active, and it is something incredibly refreshing about being out in nature, exploring new trails, and reaching breathtaking viewpoints. Another hobby I cherish is singing, both solo and in a choir. Singing solo allows me to express my emotions and connect with music on a personal level, and singing in a choir brings a sense of community and harmony.
What is your favorite molecule?
Dopamine as a “feel-good” molecule. Moreover, dopamine plays crucial roles in the body, and it is like my brain’s way of encouraging me to do things that are beneficial and enjoyable, keeping me motivated and engaged with my surroundings. Fun fact, my phone’s personal hotspot is named “dopamine”, so if you see the WiFi with “dopamine” name, maybe I am currently around you.
Renee Kroon – Associate Professor (2020)
What are you working on in the lab?
Unfortunately, my days in the lab are over. My last feat was to neutralize a piranha solution.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Spend time with the family, play board games. To relax I like gardening, cooking and tinkering on the house.
What is your favorite molecule?
Caffeine because without it, I do not function. The other molecule that I really like is geosmin, a compound produced by bacteria that is partly responsible for the smell of petrichor (the earthy scent when rain falls on dry soil).
Alumni
Jonathan Adler – Master student
Masoumeh Ghozatloo – Labor market education
Alena Ferhatovic – Labor market education
Publications
2024
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Research Infrastructure
LOE Research Infrastructure
myfab (network of micro- and nano-fabrication infrastructure)
Treesearch (infrastructure available within Wallenberg Wood Science Center)
Chalmers Materials Analysis Laboratory (wide range of advanced materials characterization)
Collaboration
Christian Müller is a group leader and materials science expert at Chalmers University of Technology. With Christian, we develop conjugated polymer:cellulose hybrid materials and stable doping of organic semiconductors.
Prof. Müller research profile at Chalmers University of Technology
Information about the Müller group
Liyang Yu is a group leader and materials science expert at Sichuan University. With Liyang, we analyze the micro- and nanostructure of functionalized conjugated polymers.
Dr. Yu research profile at Google Scholar
The Wallenberg Wood Science Center (WWSC) is a research center between three major universities in Sweden (KTH, Chalmers, and Linköping University). The vision of WWSC is that the forest can offer bio-based alternatives to fossil-based materials. In Sweden, WWSC is the largest initiative in the field, engaging circa 50 PhDs and 20 postdocs. Many members in our group become members of WWSC, providing them with a large research and professional network that they can use in their future careers. For more information, visit WWSC.
Join us!
Open Positions
We have one position open for a postdoc scholar! More information can be found at LOE – vacancies