Mini-Symposium on Sustainable Chemistry
On 25 April, we hosted a mini-symposium featuring two insightful lectures by Professor Haritz Sardon from the University of Basque Country, Spain and Dr. Maarten Smulders from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.
Professor Haritz Sardon delivered a lecture titled "Shining light into sustainable additive manufacturing." In his lecture he explored how additive manufacturing, especially vat photopolymerization, can become more sustainable by using biomass-derived resins. He highlighted new recyclable materials as alternatives to traditional petroleum-based materials, supporting a shift toward circular, eco-friendly 3D printing.
Dr. Maarten Smulders presented on "Imine CANs – controlling the three Ms: Molecular exchange, Mesoscale ordering and Macroscopic performance." His talk focused on the work from his group on imine-based covalent adaptable networks. He further presented molecular-level strategies to improve material performance, including modifying electronic properties, polarity, and introducing stabilizing interactions like hydrogen and metal-ligand bonds. He then highlighted the importance of the mesoscale—the intermediate level between molecules and bulk material—by demonstrating how phase separation within imine networks can significantly influence the material’s macroscopic properties.