​​​Our research aims to design materials in which function is encoded through controlled chemical reactivity. By controlling when, where, and how chemical transformations occur, we seek to create materials that can sense, report, adapt, repair, assemble, or disassemble in response to external stimuli.

To achieve this goal, we develop responsive molecular systems and investigate how their behavior can be translated from the molecular scale to macroscopic material properties. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding how external stimuli can be used as control parameters to direct chemical transformations and program material behavior on demand.

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Our work explores the use of light, heat, and mechanical force to trigger bond formation, bond cleavage, molecular reorganization, and dynamic exchange processes. Through these mechanisms, we aim to create materials whose properties and functions can be actively controlled throughout their lifetime rather than being fixed at the time of manufacture.

The group follows a systematic approach that begins with the development of responsive molecular motifs and progressively extends their implementation to increasingly complex systems, including polymer networks, composites, encapsulated systems, and fiber-based materials. By establishing relationships between molecular reactivity, material architecture, and macroscopic performance, we seek to uncover fundamental design principles for adaptive materials.

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Ultimately, our vision is to leverage controlled chemical reactivity as a powerful design tool for the development of sustainable materials with advanced functionalities, enabling new approaches to self-reporting behavior, controlled assembly and disassembly, repair, reprocessing, and circular material lifecycles.