Polymer Chemistry
Polymerchemie
6 CPSummerEN
Prerequisites
Recommended, as written
A preliminary introduction to polymer chemistry and some practical experience with organic chemical reactions and purification procedures are highly recommendend. Modules 14309 (Modern Concepts of Materials Design) and 14298 (Methods in Material Analytics) will be helpful.
Contents
Technical polymerizations, materials from regrowing ressources and circular polymer economy, ring-opening polymerization, stereocrystallization, gelatin- and silk-based materials, advanced polymer synthesis, functional polymers and their applications such as electrically conducting polymers, liquid-crystalline elastomers, self-healing materials, and shape-memory polymers, AI in polymer research.
Learning outcomes
After completing the module, students will be able to correlate the chemical structures of polymers with their physico-chemical properties. They have become familiar with the structure, various methods for the synthesis, properties and modern applications of functional polymers. Students have knowledge and practical skills in the planning, implementation and evaluation of laboratory projects. They are able to plan tasks assigned to them with the aid of literature research, implement them using standard laboratory equipment, evaluate, document and present the results. In the practical laboratory work, students are familiarized with basic operations for the synthesis and purification of polymers. The synthesis operations enable students to set up and operate standard reaction apparatus and encourage them to develop purification strategies for polymer reaction products. Using the example of carrying out syntheses that follow known reaction mechanisms and processing organic analyses, the practical part pursues the fundamental aim of consolidating existing theoretical knowledge of the reactivity of functional groups and applying it in practice. This provides students with knowledge and practical skills in the planning, implementation and evaluation of laboratory projects. They are able to plan the tasks assigned to them with the aid of literature research, implement them using standard laboratory equipment, evaluate, document and present the results. Students have acquired course-related personal skills through communicative discussion in seminars / practical training.
Assessment
Prerequisites: Participation in the practical course with 6-8 experiments, at least 2/3 of the experiments successfully performed, and an accepted version of the protocols to each of the experiments. MAP: oral examination on the lecture and practical part, 30 min.
Literature (7)
- Hiemenz, P.C.: Polymer Chemistry. The Basic Concepts.
- Young RJ, Lovell PA, Introduction to Polymers (3rd Ed), CRC Press.
- Hiemenz PC, Lodge TP, Polymer Chemistry (2nd Ed), CRC Press.
- Bovey, F.A. and Winslow, F.H., Eds.: Macromolecules, an introduction to polymer science.
- Cowie, J.M.G.; Arrighi, V: Polymers: Chemistry and Physics of Modern Materials, CRC Press.
- Koltzenburg, S.; Maskos, M.; Nuyken, O.: Polymere: Synthesis, Properties and Applications, Springer Spektrum.
- Tieke, B.: Makromolekulare Chemie – Eine Einführung, Wiley VCH.
Remarks
This module is offered the last time in Summer Semester 2026.
Source: BTU's module description · retrieved 29 Sep 2026Original