Excursion to LyondellBasell (May 8-9, 2023)

The iRTG of SFB/TRR 102 arranged an excursion to LyondellBasell at Industriepark Frankfurt-Höchst on May 8/9, 2023. Members of the iRTG of Martin Luther University and Leipzig University got an insight into laboratory, processing and production facilities of LyondellBasell and were informed about career options.

8th SFB-Retreat in Wittenberg (April 20-21, 2023)

The 8th (and final) retreat of the SFB took place at the Leucorea in Wittenberg on April 20/21, 2023. Members  of the SFB presented their work, attended invited talks from polymer science but also about science communication and a career in industry.

iRTG Retreat in Wittenberg (April 19, 2023)

The iRTG-retreat took place at the Leucorea in Wittenberg on April 19, 2023. Members  of the iRTG got an insight into journal editing, discussed about career  options after the PhD with alumni and took part in excursions in  Wittenberg.

Review lecture series “Wegbereiterinnen: Frauen in den Naturwissenschaften”

The lecture series “Wegbereiterinnen – Frauen in den Naturwissenschaften” provided insights into the history of science and perspectives on gender research. The lectures took place in the colloquia of the three institutes of our faculty and were well attended. The lectures and especially the subsequent discussions brought the topics and questions of the lectures, but also gender equality activities in general, to the attention of the audience.

The lectures were organised and supported by the SFB/TRR 102 and the other DFG-funded research networks of the Nat. Fak. II (SFB/TRR 227, GRK 2670).

• •  17. November 2022: Prof. Dr. Martina Erlemann (FU Berlin)
    Gender und Diversität in den Fachkulturen der Physik
    Physikalisches Kolloquium
  •  8. Dezember 2022: Hon.-Prof. Dr. Annette Vogt (HU Berlin & MPI für Wissenschaftsgeschichte)
    Naturwissenschaftlerinnen im 20. Jahrhundert – von den Ausnahmen zur Normalität
    Institutskolloquium Mathematik
  •  19. Januar 2023: Prof. Dr. Cornelia Denz (PTB Braunschweig)
    Lise Meitner – was wir aus Ihrem „inhaltsreichen Leben“ heute lernen können
    Physikalisches Kolloquium
  •  Prof. Dr. Gudrun Kammasch (Berliner Hochschule für Technik)
    Clara Immerwahr – Fritz Haber, Eine Wissenschaftlerin in den Konflikten ihrer Zeit
    • für die Studierenden des ASQ online am 1. Februar 2023
    • im Sommersemester 2023 im GDCh-Kolloquium

Halle Young Polymer Scientists Scholarship awarded

Congratulations to the winners of the Halle Young Polymer Scientists Scholarship 2022/23:

• • Arman Edalat
  • Uma Kulkarni
  • Marzieh Alikouchaki Khorzoughi
  • Takumi Omagari

Information about the scholarship and an overview of all awardees (read more).

Parent and child office at Heidecampus

The SFB/TRR 102 coordinated and co-funded the creation of a parent-child office at the Heide campus. We are pleased to announce that this room is now available!

The parent-child office at the Heidecampus serves as a quiet room for pregnant women, is available for nursing mothers, offers diaper-changing facilities and can be used as an office by young parents together with their children. A sink is available, the kitchen in the building may be used and there are materials for children from 0 to 12 years.

For more information, locking privileges, etc. just contact eltern-kind-buero@natfak2.uni-halle.de!

Macromolecular Structures – Interactive Meeting on Crystallisation, Fibrillation and Beyond (Leipzig, 1-3 March 2023) – Cancelled

Doctoral students from our iRTG are organising the concluding conference of the SFB:  MacroStruct 23    in Leipzig, 1-3 March 2023. The meeting centres around processes of macromolecular structure formation, such as polymer crystallisation and protein fibrillation, and provides a platform to share innovative concepts bringing both fields together. Confirmed plenary speakers include: Alicyn Rhoades, Guenter Reiter, Sara Linse, Paolo Arosio, Sebastien Lecommandoux and Birgit Strodel.

Aside from classical talks, we have organised a series of interactive sessions and workshops that allow researchers of all career stages to connect, exchange ideas and engage in lively discussions.

You are welcome to submit    abstracts for talks and posters until 12 December 2022. Registration    is now open!

11th SFB miniworkshop (Halle, 6 October 2022)

The 11th SFB miniworkshop took place in Halle on October 6, 2022. Our PhD students presented the progress of their projects during the poster sessions, there was plenty of discussion and exchange.

Annual alumni meeting (September 10, 2022)

On September 10, 2022, the annual meeting between former and current members of the Research Training Group took place at the Moritzkunstcafé Halle. The meeting aims at the establishment of links and to foster the exchange between former and current iRTG members.

SynBioPoly22: Polymer Physics Summer School in Halle and Leipzig (August 27 – September 2, 2022)

From August 27 to September 2, 2022 the Polymer Physics Summer School “SynBioPoly22” took place in Halle (Saale) and Leipzig. The summer school was aimed at introducing the basic concepts regarding the physical basics of macromoleclar systems, structure formation of synthetic as well as biological polymers and to introduce experimental techniques and simulation methods along with promoting cultural exchange amongst a diverse group of 40 future polymer scientists.
Besides the scientific part, we offered a rich social program. The scientific part consisted of 17 lectures, 2 lab courses (from a total of 12 different available lab courses) and a poster session. The social part included a varied range of activities like Stand Up Paddling and a wine tasting in Freyburg.

The summer school was a resounding success with more applications than available places and a very good networking between the participants, who continue to be in contact with each other via social media.

10th SFB miniworkshop (Leipzig, March 2022)

The 10th SFB miniworkshop took place in Leipzig on March 31, 2022. Our PhD students presented the progress of their projects during the poster sessions, there was plenty of discussion and exchange.

7th SFB retreat in Bad Schandau (September 2021)

Members of the SFB/TRR 102 met for the 7th retreat in Bad Schandau from September 13-15,  2021. Young researchers from the SFB presented their new scientific  results and our invited speaker Ulrich Schubert (University of Jena)  talked about supramolecular interactions in polymers. During the  presentations in the evening, we learned and discussed about circular  plastics (Rupert Schnell, Evonik) and gender in physics (Tomas Brage,  Lund University). There was also time for informal exchange during our hiking tours.

American undergrad student visits Halle for a summer internship

Aaron Miller, from Seattle, was an intern in the polymer physics group  in Halle (Saale) from July – September 2021. He is a physics  undergraduate student from the University of Washington (Seattle, USA) and he was awarded the RISE (Research Internships in Science and   Engineering) internship program from the DAAD. Aaron decided to join  the project offered from Yu Qiang (group of Prof. T. Thurn-Albrecht) and fortunately, the travel restrictions were removed shortly before the internship. During his 3 month-stay,  Aaron worked with Yu on the crystallization of polyesters with  different experimental techniques, as well as collaborated with other  groups and presented his results. He also used his time in Germany to  improve his German language skill and to travel and make connections  across Germany. Aaron is now completing his B. Sc. in physics back in  Seattle while performing neuroscience research, and he hopes to return  to Germany in the future for research or potentially graduate study.

The Halle Young Polymer Scientists Scholarship

The scholarship supports outstanding students of the 3^rd semester at the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. (Read more)

Mon, 14.10.2019 – Special lectures

9:00 am @ seminar room 1.30 Von-Seckendorff-Platz 1, 06120 Halle

Prof. Dr. Shi-Qing Wang

Department of Polymer Science, University of Akron, USA

Lecture 1:
“A unified framework to understand  ductility in glassy polymers: from crazing, brittle-to-ductile  transition to rubber-toughened polymers”

Abstract:
In  my lab, we focus on building a molecular-level understanding of polymer  mechanics in both liquid and solid states. This is a journey that  involves three episodes or steps: a. Phenomenology and conceptual  foundation of polymer melt rheology, b. Molecular mechanics of polymer  glasses, c. Brittleness and ductility of semicrystalline polymers. […]

Lecture 2:
“The essence of nonlinear polymer rheology: everything you must know”

Abstract:
Polymer processing suffers from a variety of rate-limiting difficulties. In extrusion alone, we encounter surface roughness on extrudate (sharkskin), quasi-periodic extrudate distortion associated with pressure oscillation and gross melt fracture. […]

Details:

Wang_14102019_2lectures

Halle Young Polymer Scientists Scholarship awarded

Congratulations to the winners of the Halle Young Polymer Scientists Scholarship 2018/19:

• Nicola D’Antrassi
• Aaron Hung Bui
• Harish Yeramani

Information about the scholarship and an overview of all awardees (read more).

AMK Science Award for publication on the phenomenon of pre-freezing

Congratulations to Dr. Ann-Kristin Flieger. She received the AMK Science Award (Prof.-Hans-Henning-Kausch-Preis) of the Akademie Mitteldeutsche Kunststoffinnovationen for her publication on “Interface-Induced Crystallization of Polycaprolactone on Graphite via First-Order Prewetting of the Crystalline Phase”. The award was conferred at PolymerTec2018 in Merseburg on June 15, 2018. It is dedicated to excellent scientific publications in the field of polymer science and plastics technology. With this price the academy fosters the transfer of knowledge and ideas from research at universities to industry.

• Photo of awarding at PolymerTec2018    
• A.-K. Flieger, M. Schulz, and T. Thurn-Albrecht, Macromolecules 51, 189-194 (2018)    

University is part of Nature Index 2018 Rising Stars

2nd Changchun and Halle-Leipzig Discussion Seminar on Polymer Science, April 10-12, 2018

Excursion to the Processing Pilot Plant for Biopolymers Schwarzheide at February
21, 2018

• Registration

Fr, 27.10.2017

10:00 to 12:15 pm Lecture room VSP1 1.23  Von-Seckendorff-Platz 1, 06120 Halle

Dr. Tiago Mendes Ferreira

Aggregation and Crystallization of Synthetic Polymers confined in Lipid Bilayers

Abstract:
A  potential investigation concerning the behavior of synthetic polymers incorporated in lipid bilayers will be described. Emphasis is given on  studying the effects of confinement on crystallization, dynamics and  structure.The methodology is illustrated with previous work on mixtures of lipids and triblock copolymers.

Dr. Martin Tress

Dielectric Spectroscopy at the Limit: Where Isolated Polymer Chains meet Functional Systems

Abstract:
In this talk, I will present my pioneering measurements  of the molecular dynamics in isolated polymer chains, followed by some  aspects of my recent work on associating and crystallizing polymeric  systems. Then, I will combine these fields in a concept for future  research on nano-structured molecular arrangements by means of  dielectric spectroscopy.

Dr. Martin Brehm

Precipitating Cellulose at Ionic Liquid / Water Interfaces

Abstract:
With an approximated 700 billion tons, cellulose is by  far the most abundant organic polymer on earth, and could help to  mitigate the effect of shrinking crude oil resources. There exist some  methods to make commercial products from cellulose for many decades, but  most of them are expensive or involve toxic reagents. Ionic liquids  offer a novel way of cellulose processing without these disadvantages.  However, there is only little microscopic understanding of these  processes today. Within this project, a combination of molecular  dynamics simulations and various spectroscopic methods shall be employed  to gain molecular insight into precipitation and structure formation of  cellulose at ionic liquid / water interfaces.

1st Discussion Meeting HalLei17

Venue:

ITP, Universität Leipzig, Brüderstr. 16, 04103 Leipzig, Room 210

Time:

Wednesday, 19 July 2017, 14:30-19:00

Speakers:

• Jonathan Gross (Universität Leipzig)
• Ulrich H.E. Hansmann (Dept. of Chem. and Biochem., University of Oklahoma, USA)
• Jutta Luettmer-Strathmann (University of Akron, Ohio, USA)
• Suman Majumder (Universität Leipzig)
• Mark P. Taylor (Dept. of Physics, Hiram College, USA)
• Timur Shakirov (Universität Halle)

• Link to HalLei17    

MLU Halle-Wittenberg joins the 20 most approved universities of DFG funding in chemistry

The successful funding of the Collaborative Research Center transregio 102 in polymer science raised the ranking of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg into the 20 most active universities for DFG funding in chemistry from 2011-2013 (Link    Tab 4-18, DFG, in german).

Read more    DFG-Förderatlas 2015 (page 144 f., in german)

Researchers develop a new method for manipulating molecules by temperature gradients

Physisists of Leipzig University and TU Dresden have developed a new method for trapping and manipulation of molecules in liquids. The recent results have been published in “Nano Letters”. Parts of the work are carried out by project B10 “Interaction of Single Polymer Chains in a Thermophoretic Trap” of the CRC.

Read more    at the press release of UL

(August 28th 2015; in german only)

Polymers under multiple constraints

An Interview with Prof. Dr. Thomas Thurn-Albrecht the Coordinator of the Collaborative Research Center.

Read more at Science in Chains (archive)

First certificate of the integrated research training group awarded

Emmanuel U. Mapesa has been awarded the first certificate of our integrated research training group “Polymers: random coils and beyond”. He is the first member who passed the additional training program and defend his thesis succsessfully.

German Research Foundation approved second
funding period of CRC TRR 102 “Polymers under
multiple constraints”

The collaborative research center SFB Transregio 102 “Polymer under multiple constraints” at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Leipzig University has been approved by the German Research Foundation (DFG) for the second funding period. Polymer research of our scientists from the field of Physics and Chemistry is supported by over nine million Euro for the next four years. The Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification Leipzig (IOM) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials Halle (IWM) are also participating into our research center.

Read more at the press release of MLU
(May 27th 2015; in german only)

Second certificate of the integrated research training group awarded

Congratulations to Jens Balko. He has been awarded the certificate of our integrated research training group “Polymers: random coils and beyond” at September 15th 2015. He is the second member who passed the additional training program and defend his thesis succsessfully.

Certificates of the integrated research training group awarded

Congratulations to Anne Seidlitz (Influence of crystallization kinetics and dynamics in crystals and melt onto the structure formation of semi-crystalline polymers). She has passed the additional training program and has been awarded the certificate of our integrated research training group “Polymers: random coils and beyond”.

Instrumentation for Small Angle X-Ray Scattering and
GISAXS/GIWAXS in the Experimental Polymer Physics
Group starts operating

The new instrumentation for small angle xray scattering (SAXS) and GISAXS/GIWAXS in the Experimental Polymer Physics group of T. Thurn-Albrecht started to operate.

With the new instrumentation structures can be investigated over a larger measurement range due to the upgrade to a microfocus source. The investigation of thin polymer films and protein solutions become available by the extension to a semi conductor detector.

Depending on the investigated structure the resolution increases up to 100% or the intensity is up to 20 times higher during the measurements with the new setup from SAXSLAB. Shorter times for each measurement become available due to the higher intensities.

Small chains of molecules, big topic: lecture at the long night of sciences in Halle

Over 50 guests have been introduced to the diversity of polymer chains during the lecture “Winzige Molekülkette, große Wirkung – Physik der Polymere” given by Prof. Dr. T. Thurn-Albrecht. The lecture covered recent research of polymers at the collaborative research center “Polymers under multiple constraints” at the long night of sciences at Halle (Saale). Investigations on spider silk, thin films of polymers and atomar resolved polymers on gold surfaces up to research of chains of synthetic polymers and proteins via strong magnetic fields have been examples for current projects.

Review of the proposal of continuation of the SFB TRR 102

January 21st and 22nd 2015 in Leipzig

@ Biotechnologisch-Biomedizinisches Zentrum

UNIVERSITÄT LEIPZIG

Deutscher Platz 5, 04103 Leipzig,

• Details

1st iRTG workshop (11.-12.09.2013) in Wittenberg

This workshop addresses doctoral students in chemistry, physics, biophysics, and related fields in the iRTG “Polymers: random coils and beyond”. The doctoral students will introduce the basic concepts necessary for an understanding of projects within the iRTG. The iRTG workshop focuses on experimental and theoretical techniques to study synthetic polymer and biopolymer systems. (read more)

RISE-student Nelyan Lopez Perez visits SFB/TRR 102

Nelyan Lopez Perez, a fourth year undergraduate student at the University of Puerto Rico in Rio Piedras was for the time from 31 May to 28 July 2013 a guest at the SFB / TRR 102 in Halle (Saale). Her stay was possible through the student exchange program RISE of DAAD.
Here she has studied atomic force microscopy of thin polymer films in connection with the project “Substrate-induced molecular order and nucleation of semi-crystalline polymers in thin films” (B03). Nelyan said: “I am very happy that I was selected as a RISE student. Through my stay I learned a lot about soft matter research, as well as about myself. I gained a lot of experience as a scientist here. Through the insight into the field of polymer science more options for my future development have arisen.” During her two-month stay Nelyan was looked after by Diplom-Physikerin (Medizinphysik) Ann-Kristin Löhmann, who is working as a researcher in project B03 of the SFB/TRR 102 research and Prof. Dr. Thomas Thurn-Albrecht, Spokesman of the CRC and head of the research group “Experimental Polymer Physics”. After her guest stay in Halle (Saale), which was also supported by the Puerto Rico NASA Space Grant and a Pfizer fellowship Nelyan turns back to her undergraduate studies. When asked about her plans for the future, Nelyan replied: “By working in the group ‘Experimental Polymer Physics’ and my time here in Germany I have become much more independent. I now want to finish my Bachelor’s degree as quickly as possible and then begin my studies at a graduate school in polymer physics.”

Certificates of the integrated research training group awarded

Congratulations to Wycliffe K. Kipnusu (Structure and dynamics of systems under nano confinement at the glass transition) and Juliane Adler (Investigation of amyloid formation by solid-state NMR). Both have passed the additional training program and have been awarded the certificate of our integrated research training group “Polymers: random coils and beyond”.

Certificate of the integrated research training group awarded

Congratulations to Tingzi Yan. He has been awarded the certificate of our integrated research training group “Polymers: random coils and beyond” at December 4th 2015. Tingzi Yan passed the additional training program and defend his thesis succsessfully.

German Research Foundation approved third
funding period of CRC TRR 102 “Polymers under
multiple constraints”

The Collaborative Research Centre SFB/Transregio 102 “Polymers under Multiple Constraints” can continue its work until 2023. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding the project with around nine million euros in the third period. The project investigates the properties and various processes of microscopic structure formation as well as the dynamics of semi-crystalline polymers and aggregates of biopolymers, the amyloids. A new aspect of the research are hybrid polymers, a combination of synthetic polymers and proteins. In addition to MLU, Leipzig University, the Leibniz Institute for Surface Engineering in Leipzig, the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle and the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam/Golm are also involved in the project.

University is part of Nature Index 2018 Rising Stars

According to the “Nature Index”, the University of Halle is one of the world’s rising research institutions. In the field of chemistry in particular, the university has succeeded in publishing a large number of studies in high-ranking journals in recent years. In a comparison of “rising stars” universities, the university ranks 84th out of 200. (from MLU Newsletter Sept 21, 2018)

Read more

2nd Changchun and Halle-Leipzig Discussion Seminar on Polymer Science at Campus Halensis

Polymer scientisits from the State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry of the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry visited our CRC for the further establishment and strengthening of collaborations between the State Key Laboratory and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Leipzig University.

Link to article at Campus Halensis    (in German, April 12 2018)

Production of organic foils – Insights into industrial research

Young scientists from the Collaborative Research Centre  “Polymers under Multiple Constraints” (SFB/TRR 102) were able to experience the production of multilayer films from biopolymers at the Schwarzheide Biopolymer Processing Center. The physicists and chemists learned about the potential and challenges biopolymers present for the packaging industry on February 21,2018 when they visited the site of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Schwarzheide.

Source: Press release Fraunhofer IAP / 23.2.2018 (in German)   

MLU Halle-Wittenberg joins the 20 most approved universities of DFG funding in chemistry

The successful funding of the Collaborative Research Center transregio 102 in polymer science raised the ranking of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg into the 20 most active universities for DFG funding in chemistry from 2011-2013 (Link    Tab 4-18, DFG, in german).

Read more    DFG-Förderatlas 2015 (page 144 f., in german)

Polymers under multiple constraints

An Interview with Prof. Dr. Thomas Thurn-Albrecht the Coordinator of the Collaborative Research Center.

Read more at http://science-in-chains.natfak2.uni-halle.de

Researchers develop a new method for manipulating molecules by temperature gradients

Physisists of Leipzig University and TU Dresden have developed a new method for trapping and manipulation of molecules in liquids. The recent results have been published in “Nano Letters”. Parts of the work are carried out by project B10 “Interaction of Single Polymer Chains in a Thermophoretic Trap” of the CRC.

Read more    at the press release of UL

(August 28th 2015; in german only)

German Research Foundation approved second
funding period of CRC TRR 102 “Polymers under
multiple constraints”

The collaborative research center SFB Transregio 102 “Polymer under multiple constraints” at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and Leipzig University has been approved by the German Research Foundation (DFG) for the second funding period. Polymer research of our scientists from the field of Physics and Chemistry is supported by over nine million Euro for the next four years. The Leibniz Institute of Surface Modification Leipzig (IOM) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials Halle (IWM) are also participating into our research center.

Read more at the press release of MLU
(May 27th 2015; in german only)

German Research Foundation approved first funding period of CRC TRR 102 “Polymers under multiple constraints”

Press release of the Martin-Luther-University at the approval of the Collaborative Research Centre 102.