Polymeric Nanostructures

Since 2010, Prof. Schacher's research group at Friedrich Schiller University Jena has worked at the interface of organic, physical and macromolecular chemistry. The group develops functional polymeric nanostructures with precisely controlled composition, morphology and response to external stimuli.

Within ACP, his research focuses on stimuli-responsive polymers and hybrid polymeric materials for tunable optical and nanophotonic systems. Of particular interest are light-responsive materials, polymer-coated metasurfaces, hierarchical self-assembly and the integration of functional polymers with inorganic photonic nanostructures.

Research Areas

Prof. Schacher's research within ACP focuses on the design and self-assembly of functional polymeric materials for optical and nanophotonic applications. Research interests include:

• Light-responsive and multi-stimuli-responsive polymers
• Tunable polymer-coated optical metasurfaces
• Hybrid organic–inorganic nanophotonic materials
• Self-assembly and hierarchical organization of functional polymer nanostructures
• Control of refractive index and optical properties by molecular switching
• Photoactive polymer nanostructures and light-driven functional materials

Teaching Fields

Our teaching includes various aspects of macromolecular chemistry. Prof. Schacher gives courses in:

• Fundamentals of polymer chemistry
• Synthesis and characterization of block copolymers
• Self-assembly and supramolecular chemistry
• Functional polymers and polymeric materials

Research Methods

The group combines controlled polymer synthesis with structural and optical characterization to develop functional polymeric nanostructures and hybrid photonic materials. Methods include:

• Controlled and living polymerization techniques
• Synthesis of photoresponsive and multi-stimuli-responsive polymers
• Self-assembly of block copolymers and hybrid nanostructures
• Thin-film preparation and polymer coating of nanophotonic structures
• UV and visible-light irradiation for controlled molecular switching
• UV–Vis spectroscopy for characterization of photoresponsive materials
• Dynamic and static light scattering
• Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering
• Electron and atomic-force microscopy for nanoscale structural characterization

Recent Research Results

A major recent focus is the integration of stimuli-responsive polymers with dielectric metasurfaces to realize actively tunable nanophotonic devices. Functional polymers can change their optical properties in response to external stimuli, providing a versatile chemical route for controlling the resonances of photonic nanostructures. Light- and temperature-responsive copolymers have been integrated with high-Q dielectric metasurfaces to demonstrate reversible control of their optical response. By combining molecular photoswitches with thermoresponsive polymer segments, the metasurface resonances can be tuned by light, temperature or both stimuli simultaneously, enabling multifunctional and adaptive optical devices [1].

More recently, wavelength-selective molecular photoswitches have enabled spatially resolved optical tuning of polymer-coated metasurfaces. Spiropyran- and azobenzene-containing polymers induce opposite changes in refractive index and can be individually switched using different wavelengths. This allows both spectral and spatial control of metasurface resonances and provides a route towards reconfigurable optical components and optical information processing [2]. Complementary research investigates photoresponsive polymer systems in which illumination modifies molecular or supramolecular states. Examples include photoacid-containing copolymers and azobenzene-functionalized polymers, providing chemically tunable platforms for light-controlled material properties [3,4].

The group also develops polymer-based hybrid materials for light-driven processes, including nanostructured matrices that incorporate molecular photosensitizers and catalytic components [5].

[1] Zou et al., Adv. Optical Mater. 11, 2202187 (2023).
[2] Walden et al., ACS Nano 18, 5079 (2024).
[3] Kaberov et al., Polym. Chem. 14, 3453 (2023).
[4] Wang et al., Polym. Chem. 14, 3381 (2023).
[5] Chettri et al., Chem. Eur. J. 27, 17049 (2021).

Link to the Polymeric Nanostructures Group