EUCOR - The European Campus has awarded seed money of 47.000 euros to the project "From Precision Soft Matter Synthesis to Gradient Polymeric Materials" (GRAMMAR). In this project, Prof. Dr. Birgit Esser from the Institute for Organic Chemistry and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Rühe from the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg will collaborate with research groups from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Strasbourg. The project lays the foundation for a new, interdisciplinary field of research on polymeric materials with so-called functional gradients.
These materials are characterized by the fact that they progressively change their composition, microstructure, or atomic order and thus also their properties. The goal is to be able to precisely control these properties. To develop such materials, the researchers will work on molecular redox-active polymer chains as well as polymer surfaces that respond to multiple stimuli. The research will also focus on mesoscopic hydrogel particles that are a few nanometers in size and swell in water.
The Seed Money scheme aims to provide initial financial support for innovative cross-border projects within Eucor – The European Campus. Created by the universities to promote the exchange and networking of teachers and researchers from member institutions, this funding can be granted to projects in the field of teaching as well as in the field of research and innovation (which covers doctoral training projects). Currently, the scheme is endowed with 300,000 euros per year.
More information on the project