Invited Talks
Jose Augusto Berrocal (ICIQ, Spain)
Multimodal Mechano-Sensing in Polymer Networks, Monday June 22, 14:00, Lecture Hall
Understanding how small molecules respond to mechanical force is key to designing next-generation responsive materials. In this talk, I will present our recent work on triarylmethane-based mechanophores, focusing on their force-induced reactivity and integration into polymer networks. By linking molecular-scale insights to macroscopic behavior, we aim to develop mechanoresponsive polymers with tunable and predictable functionalities.
Ranjita Bose (University of Groningen, The Netherlands)
Diels-Alder chemistry: An old workhorse for new sustainable polymer networks, Tuesday June 23, 14:00, Small Hall
Recent studies have advanced the design of crosslinked polymer networks by leveraging dynamic covalent chemistries, particularly Diels-Alder thermoreversible bonding. We explore this chemistry to obtain self-healing and reprocessable polymer networks for various applications such as 3D printing, soft robotics, shape-memory elastomers, and debondable adhesives. This lecture will cover synthesis strategies, kinetics of reversibility and structure-property relationships for enabling sustainable and circular polymers.
Christopher Bowman (University of Colorado, USA)
Combining CANs and Dual Cure Networks, Monday June 22, 9:30, Large Hall
Covalent adaptable networks (CANs) provide processing potential otherwise inaccessible in thermosets. The rearrangement of network topology by bond exchange under stimulus (light, heat, pH), is core to the processing capacity; however, is not desirable in some end-use products. Therefore, the implementation of sequentially-controlled orthogonal stages with variable processes is favorable. The combination of dual-cure and dynamic networks overcomes these limitations by arresting dynamic capacity with a permanent network once desired dynamic processing is completed.
Nico Bruns (Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany)
Bio-inspired peptide-reinforced amphiphilic polymer conetworks, Tuesday June 23, 11:00, Lecture Hall
Amphiphilic polymer conetworks (APCNs) already possess superior mechanical properties compared to many conventional hydrogels. Still, their strength, extensibility, and toughness can be further improved by reinforcement with peptide blocks and cellulose nanocrystals, inspired by the hierarchical reinforcement of soft materials found in nature. This, as well as the double-emulsion microfluidic preparation of APCN microcapsules, will be presented at the conference.
Joost Brancart (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium)
Diels-Alder-based polymer network design: structure, reactivity, processing and properties relations, Tuesday June 23, 18:00, Small Hall
Dynamic polymer networks can be designed very versatile through in-depth knowledge of the dynamic character of the dynamic covalent chemistries and design of the polymer network structure. Intelligent choices of dynamic covalent chemistries and their incorporation in well-designed polymer networks enable tuning of the rheological, mechanical and dynamic behaviour in view of various manufacturing methods and end-use applications.
Liheng Cai (University of Virginia, USA)
Bottlebrush Polymers, Networks, Biomaterials, and Tissue Mimics, Monday June 22, 15:30, Large Hall
A bottlebrush polymer consists of a long linear backbone densely grafted with many relatively short side chains. In some instances, the bottlebrush backbone can fold to store length, a phenomenon opposite to the prevailing understanding of bottlebrush polymers. Using this so-called foldable bottlebrush polymer as a network strand provides a universal strategy for decoupling stiffness and extensibility of single-network elastomers, the fundamental component of all kinds of polymer networks. Bottlebrush polymers can be used as a platform to engineer modular biomaterials for therapeutic delivery. A voxelated bioprinting technology will be shown for transforming cell-instructive bottlebrush biomaterials into functional 3D tissue mimics for basic and translational biomedicine.
Deniz Ceylan (Bezmialem Vakif University Istanbul, Türkiye)
Functional Gel Platforms for Biomedical Applications, Wednesday June 24, 15:20, Small Hall
In recent years, gel-based platforms have emerged as key materials in advanced biomedical technologies by enabling biomimetic three-dimensional microenvironments with tunable mechanical and stimuli-responsive properties. Advances in these systems have facilitated improved cell organization, localized and controlled drug delivery, and dynamic interactions with biological tissues. These adaptable gel architectures address critical challenges in 3D cell culture, regenerative medicine, and translational biomaterials by integrating structural support with biological functionality.
Jérôme Crassous (RWTH-Aachen, Germany)
Supramolecular Restructuring of Ultra-low Crosslinked Microgels, Wednesday June 24, 11:00, Lecture Hall
Ultra low crosslinked (ULC) PNIPAM microgels were supramolecularly complexed by adding tannic acid, a polyphenol. Hereby, the additional physical crosslinking through hydrogen bonds dramatically impacted both the structure and properties of the microgels as demonstrated by scattering and electron microscopy experiments. Supported by molecular dynamic simulations, we reveal how the affinity of the tannic acid to the polymer directs the structural transformation of ULCs from soft fuzzy to hard capsule-like structures. This versatile dynamic control ultimately enables the simultaneously targeted encapsulation of hydrophilic drugs in the core and uptake of hydrophobic drugs in the shell of the supramolecular microgel capsules.
Stéphanie Descroix (Institute Curie, Paris, France)
Molding and actuating hydrogels for organ on chip development, Monday June 22, 10:00, Small Hall
Organ on chip represents a next generation of in vitro biological models with a great potential in biology, biophysics and clinical application. In this context, mimicking the extracellular matrix composition, architecture as well as the forces experienced by the organ is crucial. In this talk, I will discuss how these different aspects can be implemented on chip to replicate in vivo conditions, and how they can be tuned to investigate their effects on the organ physiology.
Cecile A. Dreiss (Kings College, London, United Kingdom)
Self-assembled Polypseudorotaxanes crosslinked by Dynamic disulfide bonds, Tuesday June 23, 11:00, Large Hall
Poly(pseudo)rotaxanes (PPR), also referred to as “molecular necklaces”, are linear polymers threaded by macrocyclic molecules, which can act as a versatile scaffold to build functional architectures. We report here the “one-pot” preparation of self-assembled thiol-rich PPR, where thiolated-α-cyclodextrins, spontaneously thread onto polymers and are then crosslinked by the thermally-triggered oxidation of thiols into disulfide bonds into a 3D network. The dynamic thiol groups along the polymer chains provide great modularity for the functionalization of thiophilic metal nanoparticles. By introducing stoppers at the polymer ends, tough hydrogels with remarkable stretchability are obtained.
Miroslava Duskova-Smrckova (Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republik)
Formation and structure of polyaspartic-polyurea networks for coatings and thermosets towards sustainability. Experimental insights and statistical modelling, Monday June 22, 16:30, Large Hall
Polyaspartics crosslinked through urea bonds are a novel class of thermosetting materials with great potential for sustainability and environmental friendliness without compromising the material performance. This research conjoins experimental insights with simulations that combine kinetic theory and the statistical approach of the Theory of branching processes. Side reactions are incorporated through their effect on the building units, which in turn govern the gelation, network evolution, and final material properties. The resulting model provides a predictive tool for designing realistic systems of next-generation polyaspartic coatings and thermosets.
Bela Ivan (HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary)
Bicontinuous nanophasic amphiphilic conetworks, their gels and nanohybrids for advanced applications: from intelligent drug release to highly efficient nanocatalysts and beyond, Tuesday June 23, 11:30, Lecture Hall
Our research focuses on the synthesis, structure-property investigations and application possibilities of polymer conetworks, composed of covalently linked hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers chains. Utilization of the bicontinuous nanophase separated morphology of such conetworks in various fields, especially in the biomedical areas and as nanohybrid materials, is one of the recent challenging tasks with this emerging class of crosslinked macromolecular assemblies. This presentation will deal with the latest achievements in our laboratories in these research and development fields.
Paul Janmey (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
Control of cell and tissue stiffness by filamentous biopolymer networks and particle inclusions, Tuesday June 23, 18:00, Lecture Hall
Filamentous networks of semiflexible polymers are ubiquitous in biology. Collagen fibers form much of the extracellular matrix, the cytoskeleton controls cell mechanics, and chromatin fibers span the volume of the nucleus. The mechanical properties of the biopolymer fibers, the way in which the fibers link into networks, and the types of cells within the network all affect the way in which tissues respond to mechanical stress.
Jeremiah Johnson (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)
Deconstructing Polymer Networks to Decode Their Structures and Impart New Functions, Thursday June 25, 11:40, Lecture Hall
The properties of polymer networks are governed by their composition and topology across multiple length scales. Certain stochastic topological features of networks, including loops, remain challenging to measure and control. This talk will introduce Network Disassembly Spectrometry (NDS) as an experimental tool to measure cyclic and dangling end structures in polymer networks. A novel “time-dependent” NDS method will be introduced, which unveils new interactions between enzymes and topological features in hydrogels.
Julia Kalow (Northwestern U., USA)
Defect engineering in covalent adaptable networks, Monday June 22, 11:00, Lecture Hall
The Kalow Lab seeks to bridge the molecular-level understanding of exchange chemistries and the macroscopic observation of flow and healing by combining physical organic studies and mechanical characterization. We have developed a tunable catalyst-free associative exchange reaction based on conjugate addition–elimination of thiols. In this talk, I will discuss strategies to upcycle polymer waste through incorporation of these dynamic bonds.
Nazila Kamaly (Imperial College, London, UK)
Stimuli responsive covalent nanogels: a chemically versatile drug delivery platform, Tuesday June 23, 14:00, Small Hall
Covalently crosslinked nanogels represent a highly tunable and biocompatible drug delivery platform with the ability to encapsulate sensitive biological therapeutics under mild aqueous conditions. Their chemical versatility enables control over size, charge, porosity, and degradability, while their softness and stability allow efficient delivery even under physiological flow. This talk will highlight advances in stimuli-responsive nanogels and their potential for combination therapies and translational biomedical applications.
Matthias Karg (U. Halle, Germany)
Soft colloids at interfaces, Tuesday June 23, 14:00, Lecture Hall
Microgels tend to absorb to various interfaces where often self-assembly into periodic structures is observed. We study the phase behavior of various (core-shell) microgels at air/water interfaces by different in situ techniques. Comparison of the microstructure that is obtained after the transfer onto solid interfaces (ex situ) reveals strong influences of capillary interactions altering the microgel arrangement. The observed changes depend on substrate wettabiliy, microgel softness, interparticle distance and transfer conditions. We aim to shine light on the role of the different parameters in order to better understand the complex phase behavior of 2-dimensional assemblies of soft colloids.
David Mecerreyes Molero (U. Basque Country, Spain)
Design of Conductive Eutectogels for Bioelectronics, Thursday June 25, 14:00, Small Hall
In this talk we will show our recent works in the development of new Ionic gels for bioelectronic applications. The talk will include the previous developments of gels containing ionic liquids (iongels) and our actual work in gels containing eutectic solvents, eutectogels. The additive manufacturing 3D printing of the gels will be discussed together with its applications in bioelectronic devices such as bio electrodes or organic electrochemical transistors.
Tasuku Nakajima (Hokkaido Univ., Japan)
Polymer gels whose network strands are superstretched, Tuesday June 23, 14:00, Large Hall
In conventional polymer gels, the network strands are typically coiled. Here, we report our discovery that polymer gels with network strands stretched nearly to their breaking point exhibit anomalous elasticity, fracture behavior, and functionality.
Oguz Okay (Istanbul Technical University, Republic of Türkiye)
Silk fibroin-based multiple-shape-memory organo-hydrogels, Monday June 22, 11:00, Large Hall
In contrast to synthetic gels, their biological counterparts such as cells and tissues have synergistic biphasic components comprising both hydrophilic and lyophilic phases, which gives them some special capabilities, including adaptive biomechanics and freezing tolerance. Hydrogels containing both hydrophilic and lyophilic phases, termed organohydrogels (OHGs), are capable of mimicking biological systems, and could have great potential for various applications. Here, we present a straightforward strategy to obtain adaptive OHGs with tunable and programmable mechanics and multi-shape-memory behavior.
Bradley D. Olsen (MIT, USA)
Fracture Across Scales in Polymer Networks, Thursday June 25, 11:40, Large Hall
Our lab has developed a coarse-grained simulation engine that is capable of performing simulations of large networks, reproducing key macroscopic properties. This methodology is applied across different length scales to investigate how individual bond strengths translate into chain breakage and into disordered net topologies within networks that lead to the observed macroscopic failure properties.
Costas Patrickios (University of Cyprus, Cyprus)
Amphiphilic Polymer Conetworks: Self-assembly, Mechanical Properties, Recyclability and an Application, Wednesday June 24, 9:00, Large Hall
We will present our recent work on amphiphilic polymer conetworks (APCNs), highlighting the self-healing capability and recyclability conferred upon these materials by their dynamic covalent cross-links. Furthermore, we will indicate that our APCNs are highly stretchable, upto 10-fold, despite their high water content, ~80%. Most importantly, we will share with you our efforts to instill into these materials aqueous self-assembly with long-range ordering. Finally, we will present an energy-related application of our APCNs.
Valérie Ravaine (ISM Bordeaux, France)
Toward Programmable Emulsion Stability with Responsive Microgels, Wednesday June 24, 9:00, Small Hall
Microgels are colloidal particles made of swollen lightly cross-linked polymers, whose softness imparts peculiar properties when adsorbed at liquid interfaces. In particular, they can deform and adopt different conformations. We will discuss their ability to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions and even water-in-water emulsions that can destabilized on demand thanks to their stimulus-responsiveness.
Takamasa Sakai (Univ. Tokyo, Japan)
Precision Gel Science: From Homogeneous to Heterogeneous Gels, Wednesday June 24, 11:00, Large Hall
This talk introduces our efforts in establishing “Precision Gel Science” by fabricating structurally homogeneous polymer networks (TetraPEG gels) that allow direct, quantitative links between microscopic architecture and macroscopic properties. We highlight a universal scaling law for osmotic pressure as a tool to characterize network inhomogeneity, providing a new foundation for rational gel design across materials and applications.
Sandra Schlögl (Polymer Competence Center Leoben, Austria)
With light towards functional dynamic polymer networks, Monday June 22, 12:30, Small Hall
Combining the chemistry of dynamic covalent bonds with light-driven reactions offers versatile routes to advance the functionality of dynamic polymer networks. Herein, examples of photochemical reactions are provided, which are used to shape functional dynamic polymers along various length scales, to locally and reversibly control bond exchange kinetics and to reprogram material properties during post-processing steps.
Sebastian Seiffert (Johannes Guttenberg University Mainz, Germany)
Amphiphilic and Adaptive Polymer Gels with Model-Network Structure, Wednesday June 24, 8:30, Large Hall
Amphiphilic polymer gels are composed of a polymer network with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts. They feature favorable properties with delicate dependency on the environmental medium polarity, such as environmentally sensitive viscoelasticity and selective permeability. To truly exploit this potential for applications, it is necessary to understand the interplay between the network nano- and microstructure and the resulting gel properties. We target at gaining such understanding in view of the preparation conditions, the resulting network structures, and the yet resulting gel properties, primarily focusing on their viscoelastic mechanics and permeabilities. This is done by adaption of the tetra-PEG approach for model-network synthesis to preparing amphipilic model networks of two kinds: irreversibly and reversibly crosslinked.
Sergei Sheiko (University of North Carolina, USA)
Bottlebrush elastomers and gels: Programming tissue-mimetic properties by architecture, Monday June 22, 14:00, Large Hall
Bottlebrush macromolecules are resourceful building blocks for constructing tissue-mimetic materials with sought after combinations of softness, damping, swelling, and adhesion. Densely grafted side chains define physical properties in two ways: (i) they disentangle network strands and (ii) they increase strand persistent length. The first trait alleviates constraints for lowering the crosslink density, enabling supersoft and super-swelling polymer networks that closely match soft tissues like brain and jellyfish. The second trait - variable persistence length - controls elastic modulus, strain-stiffening, and relaxation times. By architecturally adjusting the size and flexibility of brush-like network strands, we can create materials possessing oxymoronic property combinations, such as being soft-yet-firm, elastic-yet-dissipating, and stiff-yet-stretchable.
Luisa Torsi (University of Bari, Italy)
Plasmonic Single-Molecule Affinity Detection at 10-20 Molar, Wednesday June 24, 15:20, Large Hall
DNA can be readily amplified through replication, enabling the detection of a single- target copy. A comparable performance for proteins in immunoassays has yet to be fully assessed. Surface-plasmon-resonance (SPR) serves as a probe capable of performing assays at concentrations typically around 10-9 molar. In this study, plasmonic single-molecule assays for both proteins and DNA are demonstrated, achieving limits-of-detections (LODs) as low as 10-20 molar (1 ± 1 molecule in 0.1 mL), even in human serum, in 1 h. This represents an improvement in typical SPR LODs by eleven orders-of-magnitude. The single-molecule SPR assay is achieved with a millimeter-wide surface functionalized with a physisorbed biolayer comprising trillions of recognition-elements (antibodies or protein–probe complexes) which undergo an acidic or alkaline pH-conditioning. Potentiometric and surface-probing imaging experiments reveal the phenomenon underlying this extraordinary performance enhancement. The data suggest an unexplored amplification process within the biomaterial, where pH-conditioning, driving the biolayer in a metastable state, induces a self-propagating aggregation of partially misfolded proteins, following single-affinity binding. This process triggers an electrostatic rearrangement, resulting in the displacement of a charge equivalent to 1.5e per 102 recognition elements. Such findings open new opportunities for reliable SPR-based biosensing at the physical detection limits, with promising applications in point-of-care plasmonic systems.
Ulrike van der Schaaf (KIT Karlsruhe, Germany)
Polysaccharide-based Microgels in Food Applications, Wednesday June 24, 12:30, Lecture Hall
Several food-grade polysaccharides can be used to prepare microgel particles. We use pectin as a model system to investigate fundamental structure–function relationships in such networks. Specifically, we explore how pectin-based MGP stabilize oil-in-water emulsions by combining interfacial adsorption with network contributions, and how they modify the structure and texture of fermented protein gels through particle–matrix interactions. These examples show how polysaccharide-based microgels can be applied to design and control food structures.
Sandra Van Vlierberghe (University of Ghent, Belgium)
Harnessing Light-Curable Chemistry for Superior 3D-printing of Hydrogels Serving Regenerative Medicine, Tuesday June 23, 16:30, Large Hall
This talk explores the development of photo-crosslinkable gelatin-based versus polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogels to tune mechanical properties and print fidelity for biomedical applications. We compare step-growth and chain-growth polymerization mechanisms highlighting differences in network structure, kinetics, and cytocompatibility. Additionally, the performance of these hydrogels is evaluated in both light-based and extrusion-based 3D (bio)printing platforms to identify optimal crosslinking strategies for each modality.
Franck Vernerey (U. Colorado, USA)
Network Architecture and Chain Relaxation Govern Fracture of Polymer Networks, Tuesday June 23, 14:00, Large Hall
Polymer networks under stress can fail through two competing mechanisms: chain rupture or cavitation, the nucleation of voids within the material. This presentation will discuss how the dominant failure mode depends critically on the stress state (especially the level of triaxiality) and the rate of loading, which control whether the network breaks or voids form. It will also highlight how the architecture of the network, from permanent covalent links to reversible dynamic bonds, mediates this competition and offers new strategies to control toughness and failure.
Dimitris Vlassopoulos (FORTH Heraklion, Greece)
Rheological properties of model vitrimers, Wednesday June 24, 11:00, Small Hall
Vitrimers are known to combine the desirable properties of both thermoset and thermoplastic materials. The key feature is the presence of associative dynamic covalent bonds. We present a systematic rheological investigation of two types of well-studies (that are needed to identify microphase separation and clustering where appropriate). One involves low-Tg telechelic primary segment that forms the network, the other involves high-Tg segment with randomly distributed bonds. We explore the thermal annealing and address the challenge of topological transition temperature Tv and its unambiguous determination. There is an interesting analogy for the former class of vitrimers to triblock copolymers and the latter to random copolymers. We also address the nonlinear rheology of these interesting materials, as it is relevant to their possible processing and blending with homopolymers. The latter is important for possible recycling applications and we discuss some first results in this direction.