Peter Olsén visits POLYMAT to discuss chemical recycling and biomass

POLYMAT welcomed Peter Olsén from Linköping University on 16 October 2026. During his visit, he delivered the group seminar “Chemical Recycling and Biomass: A Synthetic Polymer Chemist’s Perspective” at the Faculty of Chemistry.

Olsén is Associate Professor and principal investigator of the Green Polymer Chemistry group at Linköping University’s Laboratory of Organic Electronics. His research brings together polymer, organic and biopolymer chemistry to develop functional and sustainable materials.

The first part of the seminar examined the thermodynamics of ring-opening polymerisation and the relationship between monomer structure, ceiling temperature and chemical recycling to monomer. Olsén also discussed how highly active catalysts can open additional coupled equilibria, providing new ways to control polymer formation and depolymerisation.

The second part focused on cellulose as an existing polymeric and hierarchical structure. The examples presented included the preparation of highly charged fibres, the introduction of functionality while preserving cellulose organisation, and the modification of interfaces within wood to enable self-densification.

Together, these approaches illustrated how polymer chemistry can contribute both to closed-loop recycling and to the development of high-value functional materials from renewable resources.

Further information: Peter Olsén’s profile at Linköping University.