Research at the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry focuses on relating macroscopic phenomena - such as phase behaviour, morphology formation or wetting - to mesoscopic and molecular properties. 

By combining experiment and theory, the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry contributes to the understanding of the physical properties of matter and of (chemical) processes. Within this broad field, the group is in particular interested in polymeric and/or colloidal liquids, and in (modified) advanced surfaces. The group focuses on relating macroscopic phenomena such as phase behavior, morphology formation or wetting to mesoscopic and molecular properties. Main topics are the phase behavior and dynamics of colloid-polymer mixtures; the modification and functionalization of surfaces; the self-assembly of complex systems; and the physical chemical properties of eutectic solvents.

In experiments our group applies X-ray, neutron and light scattering; electron, confocal and light microscopy; polymer and colloid synthesis; rheology; interfacial methods (surface tensiometry); melt and solution polymerization; solid-state modification; SEC, HPLC, MALDI-ToF-MS, NMR, FT-IR, TGA, DSC and DMTA. Theoretical methods in use are mean-field computational methods for the phase behaviour and structural thermodynamic interfacial and bulk properties; liquid state theory; and hydrodynamics and dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations. We collaborate with groups that can do soft matter computer simulations (Monte Carlo, Molecular Dynamics, Brownian Dynamics).