OUR RESEARCH IN A NUTSHELL
In our research group we design and synthesize polymeric products (mostly amphiphilic) of potential interest for industrial applications. Amphiphilic polymers find use in very diverse areas. They are found for example in biomedical devices, pharmaceutical emulsions, coatings, sensors and actuators for robotics, petroleum engineering fluids, agrochemical products.
Our approach is based on preparing tailored structures (with respect of monomer choice, molecular weight, composition, etc…), mostly by ATRP and RAFT polymerization, but also on polycondensation, when required by the desired structure and properties.
We study relevant properties, especially, rheological and interfacial ones and we test the polymers for a certain application. In this way, we obtain information on which structural parameters needs to be considered in the design of a polymeric product for that specific application. Applications investigated includes: enhanced oil recovery, emulsifiers (for pharmaceutical or cosmetics products), pH, temperature and salinity responsive systems for sensing, actuation and drug delivery.
Recently, we started investigating polymers prepared from bio-based sources, such as side streams from sugar industry, starch, or lignin, for the preparation of sustainable polymeric surfactants, and smart biodegradable coatings for controlled release in agrochemical industry.
New polymeric surfactants for enhanced oil recovery
Functional polymeric materials for soft robotics on micro scale
From sugar industry side streams to biodegradable polymeric materials
Adhesive and coating materials from hydrophobically modified starch in supercrtitical CO2
Biodegradable super absorbent polymers (SAPs) from renewable sources
Conductive and stretchable hydrogels for motion sensing devices
Biodegradable and biobased amphiphilic polymers with antibacterial properties
Amphiphilic polymers as dispersants (with University of Pisa)
Bio-baed amphiphilic polymers from lactic acid acrylate derivatives (with University of Tarragona)
Amphiphilic polymers from lignin and polysaccharides (with other research groups at RUG)
Self-healing materials based on reversible cross-linking via Diels-Alder (with other research groups at RUG)
Bio-based polyesters from waste cooking oil (WCO) (with University of Bari and Rewow)