Abstract
Reducing dependence on virgin plastics and preventing plastic waste from entering landfills or natural ecosystems are urgent societal challenges. A circular plastics economy offers a promising route forward, driven by innovative polymers and advanced recycling technologies. In this context, chemical recycling is pivotal, as it enables depolymerization into monomers that can be repolymerized without loss of material performance. In this talk, I will present polymers specifically designed for efficient closed-loop recycling. Their backbones incorporate cleavable motifs that can be selectively deconstructed under mild thermal or photochemical conditions. We further integrate bio-based building blocks to enhance overall sustainability. This strategy yields both compact materials with tunable properties and highly porous, ultralight polymer networks exhibiting excellent thermal superinsulation. By combining recyclability, renewable content, and high-performance properties, these materials demonstrate a viable pathway toward truly circular polymer systems.
Bio sketch
Fabian is an Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering & Chemistry and a core member of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). His research aims to design the next generation of sustainable, circular polymers. Building on expertise in organic chemistry, polymer science, catalysis, and photochemistry from his PhD with Stefan Hecht (HU Berlin) and postdoc with Bert Meijer (TU/e), he develops novel strategies for closed-loop recycling. Central to his work is using light as a precise, renewable energy source to make and break bonds in polymeric materials.