Section of Polymer Chemistry | ZHAW Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology ICBT

«From packaging for molecules to research into cloud formation: The properties of our nanoporous materials are as diverse as their applications.»

PD Dr. Dominik Brühwiler Head of Polymer Chemistry

The Section of Polymer Chemistry focuses on the synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of nanostructured polymeric materials.

Research and Development

Publications

Team

Research and Development

Synthesis of Nanoporous Materials

Well-organized pore systems are generated by pseudomorphic transformation

We are developing nanoporous materials with tailor-made properties, including well-defined pore and particle sizes, selectively functionalized surfaces, pore structures with bottleneck entrances, as well as multimodal pore systems. Our nanoporous materials provide a versatile platform for applications in the fields of catalysis, adsorption, separation, sensing, drug delivery, colorants, and luminophores.

Host-Guest Systems

The intercalation of organic molecules into nanoporous silicates leads to materials with novel properties

The intercalation of chromophores and fluorophores into nanoporous silicates leads to materials with unique properties. True Color Pigments (textiles and coatings), ZeoFRET (light-harvesting), and novoSUN (UV protection) are currently being developed in our lab.

Analytical Tools for Nanoporous Materials

Confocal microscopy and gas sorption provide insights into the structure of complex pore systems

Gas sorption and confocal laser scanning microscopy in combination with accessibility probes are our main analytical tools for characterizing complex pore structures and functional group distributions. We are particularly interested in materials consisting of various interconnected and well-defined 1D and 3D pore systems.

Publications

Brühwiler, Dominik,

2022.

Indigo for non-toxic and ecological gliding surfaces.

MDPI.

Available from: https://encyclopedia.pub/20925
Bützer, Peter; Brühwiler, Dominik; Bützer, Marcel Roland; Al-Godari, Nassim; Cadalbert, Michelle; Giger, Mathias; Schär, Sandro,

2022.

Indigo : a new tribological substance class for non-toxic and ecological gliding surfaces on ice, snow, and water.

Materials.

15(3), pp. 883.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030883
Calzaferri, Gion; Gallagher, Samuel H.; Brühwiler, Dominik,

2022.

Multiple equilibria describe the complete adsorption isotherms of nonporous, microporous, and mesoporous adsorbents.

Microporous and Mesoporous Materials.

330(111563).

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2021.111563
Calzaferri, Gion; Gallagher, Samuel; Brühwiler, Dominik,

2021.

Entropy in multiple equilibria : argon and nitrogen adsorption isotherms of nonporous, microporous, and mesoporous materials.

Microporous and Mesoporous Materials.

312(110744).

Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2020.110744
Brühwiler, Dominik,

2021.

Schnell auf Schnee mit Indigo.

Transfer.

2021(1), pp. 7.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-24422