POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

The research carried out in the Centre is of an interdisciplinary character and covers a wide range of topics related with such areas of science as chemistry, physics, biology and medicine. The main aim of the research is to develop novel polymers, carbon-polymer materials, carbon materials and catalysts, and to examine their properties so as to utilize them in biotechnology, microtechnology, optoelectronics, protection of the environment and healthcare.

The currently performed studies comprise the following issues:

1. Materials to be used in biology, biochemistry and healthcare:
   
   • polymers reacting to stimuli from the environment for controlled release of biologically active materials
   • carbon materials for oxygen biosensors
   • thermo responding substrates for growing cell sheets
   • polymeric resorbable surgical systems with shape memory
   • polymers and oligomers of 3-hydroxybutyric acid to be used in medicine
   • polymer systems for the controlled drug release - influence of the drug on the hydrolytic degradation of polymers
2. Materials for the protection of the environment:
   • polymers for packaging undergoing organic recycling, including cosmetic industry packaging
   • polymer and polymer-inorganic hybrid membrane materials for gas and liquid separations
   • novel catalytic materials to improve the properties of diesel fuels by removal of organic sulphur compounds
   • new catalysts for reduction of nitrogen oxides emission from flue gases
3. Construction materials:
   • systems based on epoxy and cyanate ester resins
   • core-shell nanoparticles utilized as polyester resin fillers
   • biomorphous composites prepared using monolithic porous carbon supports derived from carbonised vascular plants and selected polymers, e.g. chitosan and poly(furfuryl alcohol)
   • carbonaceous materials derived from blends of coals and selected porous carbon materials
   • nano carbon tubes and fibers used as catalysts and composite material fillers
4. Materials for electronics and optoelectronics:
   • polymer-semiconductor hybrid layer structures
   • luminescent polymers
   • polymer materials for photovoltaic cells
5. Methods and techniques of structural research:
   • utilization of novel methods of high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in structural analysis of biodegradable copolymers
   • microstructure studies of macromolecular chains by means of NMR spectroscopy (acrylate - methylacrylate copolymers)
   • structural studies of biodegradable copolymers using mass spectrometry and soft ionization techniques
   • properties of linear and nonlinear macromolecules in solutions, and methods of their characterization