Name: Michael Möller
Diploma / M.Sc degree: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
(March 2007)

PhD Project: Synthesis of Nitroxides and their Application in the Synthesis of Peptide-Polymer Conjugates via Nitroxide-Mediated Polymerization

Abstract of Research Project

The Nitroxide-Mediated Polymerization (NMP) is a controlled (living) radical polymerization. Its advantadges are functional group tolerance, solvent compatibility, absence of metal catalysts and formation of colourless polymers. A problem is the necessitity of using elevated temperatures, which often leads to autoinitation of monomers and therefore to uncontrolled polymerization. In the past few years several sterically demanding nitroxides were introduced as regulators for NMP. Unfortunately, the syntheses of these nitroxides are very laborious and costly.

My studies will concentrate on the synthesis of efficient regulators for NMP. Optimization of the synthesis of sterically demanding nitroxides as well as the feasilibilty to use light as energy source for the polymerization by attaching chromophores to nitroxides are the aims of my research. Further work will focus on the synthesis of peptide-polymer conjugates via NMP. Because of their potential biological activity, conjugates of peptides and polymers belong to a very interesting class of materials.


Michael Möller
eMail: Michael Möller