Successful conclusion of the international strategic project Derelict Fishing Gear Management System in the Adriatic Region (DeFishGear), which was carried out within the IPA Adriatic program. Over a 36 month period the project partnership consisting of 16 partners from 7 Adriatic countries among which the National Institute of Chemistry was the lead partner managed to perform the first harmonized assessment of (macro) marine litter, derelict fishing gear (mainly fishing nets) and microplastics in the Adriatic Sea. Beach, sea surface, sea bottom, river outflow areas and biota were examined in the process. The project established common procedures and techniques to obtain comparable results that were compiled in a GIS map. The project included organization of three international conferences, a seminar on microplastics and numerous other training and promotional events. The project and its results were presented as a model for regional action to representatives from all Mediterranean countries at a conference (Tirana, Albania, June 2016) co-organized with UNEP MAP.
D.06 Final report on a foreign/international project
COBISS.SI-ID: 7815009E. Žagar was a mentor to Ph.D. student Lidija Mirnik at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana. Lidija Mirnik was a Ph.D student from industry (KnaufInsulation) and she defended her thesis in 2016 in the field of materials. Her research focused on the replacement of petroleum-based additives (antidusting agents based on mineral oil) with the additives of natural origin (antidusting agents based on vegetable oils) as well as the use of metal oxide nanoparticles in the binder for rock mineral wool with the aim to replace fossil raw materials with natural ones, to improve the products properties, or to reduce the consumption of binder in rock mineral wool production (J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 1-6). Substitution of raw materials from fossil sources with the raw materials of natural origin is a growing trend in the development of polymer materials and composites. Global long-term aim is to reduce the dependence on price fluctuations of fossil fuels and to improve the long-term sustainable balance of materials, especially by lowering the carbon footprint.
D.09 Tutoring for postgraduate students
COBISS.SI-ID: 1537329347Sebastijan Kovačič presented results on the synthesis of hierarchically structured porous functional hybrid materials in Philadelphia at the 252nd ACS meeting within the Symposium on Porous Polymers as invited lecture entitled: “Multifunctional Hierarchically Porous Hybrids for New Application Opportunities”. He discussed the impact of microporous nanoparticles on the properties of hybrid polyHIPE foams and the applications of latter as absorbents for carbon dioxide and as carriers for the catalysts.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 5980698Polyethers, polyesters and polypeptides can be synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of corresponding cyclic monomers, i.e. epoxides, lactones and N-carboxyanhydrides, respectively. Ring-opening polymerization usually results in polymers with controlled molar mass characteristics and chain-end fidelity which enable the preparation of block-copolymers and polymers with complex macromolecular architectures. Due to different reactivity of individual monomers various initiator/catalytic systems are usually required for a good control over the polymerization. In this presentation different approaches to one-pot sequential block-copolymerization of monomers with significantly different reactivity and the use of unconventional initiators will be discussed, supported by detailed characterization of macromolecular structures of the resulting polymers. Additionally, some examples of various post-polymerization modifications to prepare polymers with specific properties for biomedical applications will be presented.
B.05 Guest lecturer at an institute/university
COBISS.SI-ID: 6023194Biomass represents an immense and renewable source for the production of bio-fuels and valuable chemicals. Using liquefaction reaction, biomass components are depolymerized to low molecular mass compounds with high reactivity, high hydroxyl group content and can be used in many useful applications. We used liquefied biomass as a feedstock in polymer chemistry, such as synthesis of polyesters, polyurethane foams and adhesives. Herein we also discussed on the optimized procedure for rapid preparation of nanocrystalline cellulose from biomass by liquefaction of its amorphous cellulose part, lignin and hemicelluloses in ethylene glycol under acidic catalysis. A special attention was given to the utilization of the liquefied biomass as a new energy source with high heating value. The utilization of liquefied biomass can at least partially reduce the crude oil consumption, thus increasing the use of renewable resources in large extent.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 6047258