Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research

Whether microchips and sensors in clothing or solar cells on a tent roof – polymer electronics makes such technical applications possible. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz are searching for suitable conducting polymers for these applications. This is, however, not all they do: they investigate polymers in all their different facets – their production, their physical properties and their applications. This is because polymers are becoming increasingly important as materials – not only for flexible, low cost electronics, but also, for example, as minute capsules that can contain drugs that can then be transported specifically to the area affected by the disease. Moreover, the researchers in Mainz are developing new procedures to spectrographically investigate polymers and to simulate their behaviour on the computer. They also work with soft matter, which, like wine gums, combines the properties of solid bodies and liquids. 

Contact

Ackermannweg 10
55128 Mainz
Phone: +49 6131 379-0
Fax: +49 6131 379-100

PhD opportunities

This institute has no International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS).

There is always the possibility to do a PhD. Please contact the directors or research group leaders at the Institute.

Solid-state batteries could offer many advantages in the future, including for the use in electrically powered cars.

Understanding how short-circuits occur in solid-state batteries could extend their lifespan
 

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On October 25, 2022 the winners of the Synergy Grants of the European Research Council (ERC) 2022 were announced

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In the background a red curled structure, in the foreground short light green strokes, which further back turn into long looped strokes

Self-assembling molecules could help in cancer therapy

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A sausage on a fork

Choosing the right proteins can improve the mouthfeel of vegetarian sausages

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A combination of organic materials and electronics could open up new possibilities for unconventional future computing systems
 

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It is such a common sight that it seems downright banal: at some point, almost everyone has likely watched raindrops run down a windowpane. So, it may come as a surprise that there is still fundamental scientific knowledge to be uncovered about how drops travel over surfaces. Research on drops is precisely what a team from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research has succeeded in doing – and they’ve opened up surprising potential applications in the process.

Crispy jellyfish, milk mayo, and crackling vegan sausage – just a few of the specialties from the laboratory of Thomas A. Vilgis. The research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz approaches cooking with scientific precision and has thus found the perfect synthesis of his two passions.

Germany's objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 will require a massive expansion of solar energy and improved photovoltaic modules. New materials such as perovskites promise to deliver more cost-effective and more efficient solar arrays. To pave the way for their development, Stefan Weber and Rüdiger Berger of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz are clarifying the processes that take place inside perovskite solar cells.

Numbness, immobility and, in the worst case, paraplegia - the severing of a nerve pathway - often has permanent consequences. This is because the extracellular matrix, which provides support for the neurons, is also damaged during the injury. Tanja Weil and Christopher Synatschke, who work at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, are looking for a replacement for this support material. And they have already made an important find.

Katharina Landfester, Director at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, has opened the door to numerous applications. She has developed a technology whereby tiny containers can be specifically manufactured for almost any substance and equipped with various functions. Her team is now working on using nanocapsules as transporters for pharmaceuticals, as medical sensors, or as fungus treatments in wine production.

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Everything flows: Quantum Plumbing

2023 Kavokine, Nikita; Bonn, Mischa 

Chemistry Material Sciences Solid State Research

The separation of different substances requires a large proportion of the world's energy. In an innovative approach, my research group is trying to realize highly energy-efficient possibilities by using quantum effects. The discovery of "quantum friction" between liquids and the walls of channels enables the precise control of liquid flows on a nanoscale by influencing the electrons in the channel walls. This mechanism could significantly improve separation processes in the future.

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How to simulate an intestine in the laboratory

2021 Katharina Lieberth, Paolo Romele, Fabrizio Torricelli, Dimitrios A. Koutsouras, Maximilian Brückner, Volker Mailänder, Paschalis Gkoupidenis, und Paul W. M. Blom

Cell Biology Chemistry Material Sciences Solid State Research Structural Biology

Drugs undergo a complex testing procedure before they are used. This process often involves tests on animals. Among other things, it is important to know how drugs can pass through the cell walls of the intestine into the blood. In order to be able to simulate this process in laboratory experiments, we have developed a transistor based on organic materials. With this transistor, the permeability of cell layers can be measured by measuring ionic currents in our experimental setup.

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How to split water

2020 Domke, Dr. Katrin F.

Cell Biology Chemistry Material Sciences Solid State Research Structural Biology

The production of hydrogen or the generation of energy from molecular hydrogen could be important processes in future energy storage systems, such as those already used in hydrogen-powered cars. At the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research we have taken a closer look at the processes taking place on molecular length scales and thus gained fundamental insights into the chemical reactions at electrodes.

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How nerves can grow

2019 Synatschke, C.V.; Weil, T.

Cell Biology Chemistry Material Sciences Solid State Research Structural Biology

Injuries resulting from severed nerve tracts are difficult to treat sometimes requiring complex operations. We have asked ourselves: Would it be possible to stimulate nerve cells to grow using tailor-made materials? This would help the cells to close a gap in theinjured nerve. In the laboratory, we have produced an artificial material that may solve this problem and provide an alternative to surgery in the future.

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Fighting diseases using trojan horses

2018 Wurm, Frederik; Landfester, Katharina

Cell Biology Chemistry Material Sciences Solid State Research Structural Biology

The fungal disease Esca affects vines and leads to the dying of the plants. The infection may also happen years before the first external indications are observed, therefore an early treatment is nearly impossible. This causes a yearly damage of over one billion Euros worldwide. During our research we developed a treatment method based on nanotechnology that fights the fungus in the inside of the vine.

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