Tuning Polymer Function with Photons – Prof. Eisenreich

Fabian Eisenreich is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Chemistry and a core member of the Institute for Complex Molecular Systems at Technische Universiteit Eindhoven. His research is driven by a clear mission: to design the next generation of sustainable polymers that truly embody circularity.

With a strong foundation in organic chemistry, polymer science, catalysis, and photochemistry, he devises novel strategies for closed-loop recycling. At the heart of his work is a simple but powerful idea – using light as a precise and renewable energy source to make and break chemical bonds in polymeric materials.

His team recently reached an exciting milestone: the creation of the first light-driven, closed-loop recyclable polymer, where both polymerization and depolymerization are entirely powered by photons.

For me, the path to circular materials begins with smart design at the molecular level.

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

Fabian Eisenreich studied Chemistry at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, obtaining his master’s degree in 2014. He then pursued a PhD under CSMB-director Prof. Stefan Hecht at the same university, graduating summa cum laude in 2019. During his doctoral research, he broadened his international experience with a research stay in the lab of Prof. Craig Hawker at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

In 2019, he joined the groups of Prof. Bert Meijer – who presented his work last week at CSMB – and Prof. Anja Palmans at Technologische Universiteit Eindhoven as a postdoctoral researcher, followed by his appointment as Assistant Professor in 2022.
Fabian Eisenreich has received multiple prestigious fellowships throughout his academic journey, including the Feodor Lynen fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. In 2021 he was awarded a competitive VENI research grant from NWO and in 2024 he joined a Circular Plastics NL consortium to advance sustainable chemical processes.

Abstract

Opening perspective on the topic via YouTube Where photons touch matter, innovation begins. This powerful interplay invites us to rethink how we design, use, and recycle the materials that shape our world. In this presentation, we explore how light – an abundant, clean, and precise energy source – drives sustainable technological innovation. At the core of this discussion is the development of a truly closed-loop photochemical recycling system, in which polymers are fully depolymerized into their original monomers and subsequently repolymerized – all powered by light. We further examine how light can be harnessed to reversibly control key properties of polymers, including their physical state and electrical conductivity. This dynamic, external control is essential for advancing emerging technologies such as 3D-printable materials and neuromorphic devices.

Taken together, these breakthroughs highlight the transformative role of light in shaping the future of sustainable materials science.

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