All doctoral students were doing research in the field of polymer science. In this interdisciplinary research field physical, chemical and materials science related questions were in the focus, combining experiments and theory of synthetic and biological polymers. Further topics were the synthesis and the transfer of results of basic research into the area of application.
The two main topics within the polymer-oriented Collaborative Research Center TRR 102 were:
Aggregation of biopolymers
- Stages of amyloid formation
- Folding, dynamics and stability of proteins
- Effects of nanoparticles
- Cataract formation
- Simulation of amyloid structure formation
- Investigation of isolated macromolecules in innovative traps
- Monomolecular protein layers
Crystallization of synthetic polymers
- Semi-crystalline structure formation
- Supramolecular polymers
- Simulation of crystallization
- Polymers at surfaces
- Influence of nano-patterned surfaces
- Crystallization at the water/air interface
- Influence of shear fields
Further research topics within the iRTG were:
- Self-healing polymers
- Hybrid polymers
- Materials for organic solar cells
- Interaction of synthetic polymers with lipid membranes
- Responsive polymeric systems
- Interaction of DNA and polyamines in solution
- Polymer networks (swelling of elastomers)
- Synthesis of block copolymers
- Enzymatic Polymerization
- Polymers for pharmaceutical and medical applications
- Folding and defolding of DNA
