- Head of Program: Prof. Sándor Kéki
- E-mail: keki.sandor@science.unideb.hu
Macromolecular Chemistry
Designed polymers are in the focus of today’s technology and material science. Using telechelic polymers special polymer systems like linear or star shaped amphiphilic copolymers and polymer networks can be prepared. Conjugated polymers combine the mechanical properties (flexibility, toughness, malleability, elasticity, etc.) of plastics with high electrical conductivity. Their present and future applications are based on such unique properties as electric conductivity, electroluminescence, molecular magnetism, photoluminescence and so on. During the program the applicants can master modern polymer synthesis methods such as living cationic/anionic polymerization, ROMP, ATRP as well as Suzuki polycondensation. In our complex material testing laboratory the structure determination of complex and special synthetic and/or natural macromolecules and the mechanical testing of plastics as well as composite structural materials can also be carried out. Based on our advanced mass spectrometric infrastructure structure determination based on fragmentation is conducted. Joint techniques such as HPLC-MS and/or HPLC-MS2 measurements using off-line or in-line sample introduction methods enable the investigation of peptides, oligosaccharides, synthetic polymers, low molecular weight (<1000 Da) organic molecules, drugs, side products and metabolites.
Surface chemistry
Research on macromolecular colloids involves preparation and functionalization of poly(amino acid) polymers, their partial hydrophobisation for the modification of the tertiary structure; analysis and characterization of the resulting ligand structure in solution using multinuclear and multidimensional NMR spectroscopy; equilibrium, structure and dynamics of metal complexes with macromolecular ligands in solution. In the research area of interfacial reactions the applicants can study the binding of important micro-elements, contaminating ions and radioactive cations on the surface of clay minerals by radioindication method. One can also study the mechanism of catalytic reactions on clay surface. The goal is the preparation of radiolabeled amino acid derivatives and their stable complexes with radionuclides used in medical diagnostic imaging (99mTc, 111In, 67Ga, 53Sm, 90Y). The three branches of solution-state NMR spectroscopy are capable of the investigation of solids, sols and gels. Using NMR cryoporosimetry the pore size of both soft and hard porous materials can be determined, provided the pore size is less than 100 nm. Our PhD students are able to investigate the swelling of macromolecular colloids and the pore size of carbon nanoparticles and carbon-based gels with this technique. NMR diffusiometry is an important tool for the analysis of larger pore sizes and pore structures. The applicants can learn through this technique the aspects of structure and adsorption behavior of solids and gels. The low and high-resolution NMR relaxometry is suitable for the investigation of the size and dynamics of colloids. This method enables for the applicants the characterization of carbon nanoparticles, as well as dilute polymer solutions. The involvement of new quadrupole NMR nuclei (23Na, 17O) can further broaden the perspectives.
In the future, the applicants will have the opportunity to learn solid-state NMR as well. All the necessary hardware has already been installed.