Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have been explored for use in paperboard food and beverage packaging as an environmentally friendly replacement to petroleum-based coatings like polyethylene. Paperboard coatings are primarily extrusion coated; however, extrusion coating requires the material to be processed above its melting point. The PHB homopolymer has a polymer melting transition peak around 175° C, which also coincides with the onset of thermal degradation, making it difficult to thermally process.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) provide a powerful approach for cancer treatment. Their precise targeting and potent cell-killing effects make them a hot topic in the development of anticancer drugs. Since the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first ADC drug Mylotarg® (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) in 2000, 14 ADCs have been approved for marketing worldwide. Currently, more than 100 ADC candidates are in clinical trials. The chemistry behind ADC design plays a crucial role in their targeting and delivery.

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) based on intercalation chemistry have been widely used in the past few decades. However, the overall energy density is approaching the ceiling due to the restriction of theoretical specific capacity of insertion-type oxide cathodes and graphite anodes. Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries have great potential for applications in next-generation energy storage systems due to their higher theoretical capacity and energy density than LIBs. Apart from that, sulfur is earth-abundant and can be available at low prices.

Developing efficient, room-temperature gamma-ray detectors is crucial for medical imaging, homeland security, and nuclear safety applications. Halide perovskites have emerged as promising materials for radiation detection due to their high stopping power, defect tolerance, and cost-effective fabrication. However, the performance of perovskite-based detectors is often limited by the presence of various defects, which degrade charge collection efficiency and energy resolution.

Carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are extensively used in aerospace and automotive industries due to their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. With global demand for CFRP tripling between 2010 and 2020, and projected to reach 200,000 tons by 2050, managing CFRP waste is becoming increasingly critical.

The seminar will focus on recent advancements in enhancing the efficiency of the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) in water electrocatalysis.

Ultrafast Two-Dimensional (2D) Spectroscopy is a powerful technique that has provided valuable insight into diverse systems from protein folding to isomerization of metal complexes. We aim to bring this technique to the realm of small molecules in molecular beams. 2D spectroscopy is unique because it allows for the direct measurement of coupled excitations, represented by off diagonal peaks within the spectra.

Magnetoreception plays a key role in the migration of the European robin. Cryptochrome (Cry) is believed to be responsible for the ability of these birds to detect the direction of the geomagnetic field during migration. A cofactor of cryptochrome, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) absorbs blue light, resulting in a ᴨ to ᴨ* transition.