The Research Mission of the Institute
The Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research aims to understand, predict, and ultimately control how soft and liquid matter behave—from simple and complex liquids to polymers, amorphous, nano- and hybrid bio‑materials — in order to enable new concepts and materials for sustainable technologies, health, and energy. It seeks to uncover the molecular principles that link structure, dynamics, and reactivity to macroscopic function in both technological and biological environments, thereby providing the foundations for next‑generation materials and devices. In pursuing this mission, the institute concentrates its activities along four interconnected scientific themes—transport, radicals, assembly, and interfaces—that together span the essential processes governing soft and biological matter.
Transport involves the movement of charge, matter, and energy, driving reactions, maintaining biological functions, and supplying devices with energy. Our research in this area investigates the transport of charge, energy, mass, and fluids in soft materials and biological systems and involves experiments, simulations, and syntheses to understand processes from the molecular to the device scale.
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Radicals form a second central focus. Radicals play a key role in degradation, but can also have a unique function. Our goal is to understand and design molecular systems that control, combat, or detect radicals with unprecedented precision using advanced spectroscopy and microscopy techniques, to elucidate biomolecular pathways and use radicals for sensing, in, e.g., optically detected magnetic resonance.
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We explore the principles of supramolecular assembly in biology and biomimetic materials. We explore how adaptive, responsive structures are created by controlling non-covalent interactions, aided by advanced synthesis, characterization, and AI, to design materials with programmable, lifelike behavior and robust environmental adaptability.
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Interfaces influence molecular recognition, self-assembly, transport, energy exchange, and catalytic activity. We investigate interfaces in biological environments, other complex aqueous systems, and at electrodes using state-of-the-art interface-specific spectroscopy, multiscale simulations, and materials science to understand and control interfacial phenomena.
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By deepening our understanding of these four TRAI topics, we aim to unlock new functions, drive innovation, and address important societal challenges. The following pages provide detailed descriptions of each TRAI topic, focusing on our research goals, approaches, and achievements in these areas.
