European Network on NMR Relaxometry

Work in my group is concerned with the investigation of structure and dynamics in complex "soft" materials, mostly using established and newly developed (solid-state) NMR spectroscopy methods. We study the local and chain dynamics, diffusion, as well as molecular and mesoscale structure in polymer melts, dry and swollen elastomers, semicrystalline polymers and block copolymers, liquid crystals and liquid-crystalline polymers. Recent projects include the study of polymer dynamics and ordering in confined geometry (nano-channels and surfaces), biomolecular dynamics and crowding, and interactions of synthetic and biological (macro-)molecules with lipid membranes. Relaxometry methods, including rotating-frame relaxation and field-cycling NMR (the latter in collaboration with the Rössler group) constitute an important part of our methodological focus.