We offer the following subjects from polymer physics:
Bachelor theses:
Until a new central system is available, please get inspired by the topics below and just pass by.
Master theses:
Nanoparticles from proteins and polysaccharides. We offer a master thesis about nanoparticles from hemoglobin and chondroitin sulfate. Such system are of interest as nanocarriers in medicine and for the functionalization of food with nutrients. In the project, nanoparticles from these substances shall be prepared and stabilized. Moreover, they shall be loaded with model substances. Their size and stability shall be investigated with light scattering and their inner structure with small-angle X-ray scattering at the synchrotron. The candiate should have knowledge of polymer and or biophysics and should be interested in experimental work.
All charged up about multiblock copolymers!
Self-assembled block copolymers in thin film geometry offer opportunities to design nanometric features with controlled periodicities. Precise control over their morphology and long-range order is essential for their applications, e.g. nanolithography. Using multiblock copolymers allows for a plethora of structures. In the thesis, symmetric ABCBA pentablock terpolymers shall be studied during solvent vapor annealing (SVA), which allows to modulate the interaction between the blocks and thus the structures and periodicities. The project primarily involves the in-situ investigation of the thin films during SVA using various atomic force microscopies (AFM). The ideal candidate should have a background in polymer physics and an interest in hands-on experiments, in particular surface-probe techniques.
Switchable polymers under pressure.
Thermoresponsive polymers in aqueous solution are soluble at low temperatures and become suddenly water-insoluble above a certain temperature, the so-called cloud point. This temperature is reduced, when a second, organic solvent is added, even when this is a good solvent for the polymer. The so-called co-nonsolvency effect is reversed when pressure is applied, which may be due to the interaction between the polymer, water and the co-solvent. In the master thesis, phase diagrams of novel thermoresponsive polymers in the presence of different cosolvents shall be measured in the temperature-pressure frame using turbidimetry. Dynamic light scattering under pressure shall be used to investigate the chain conformation in the presence of cosolvent and under pressure. This way, the molecular origin of the switching process shall be elucidated. The ideal candidate should have a background in polymer physics and an interest in hands-on experiments, in particular scattering techniques.
More topics can be found here (supervisor Papadakis):
https://www.ph.tum.de/academics/msc/research/
PhD theses:
We offer a PhD thesis about nanostructured thin films from electrically charged block copolymers, see details here.