Scholarship is also an honour

"The special thing about this scholarship is that only a fraction of the applicants are considered and that young scientists from all departments can apply," says Prof Dr Alex Plajer in an interview with UBTaktuell. The scholarship not only means financial support for the project "Cooperative inorganic catalysis for degradable block polymers", but is also a sign of appreciation for Prof Plajer's scientific work to date.

Plastics are a central component of our modern society. However, the majority of these materials consist of binding chains that are difficult to degrade. In his research, Plajer is pursuing the goal of developing more easily degradable alternatives. "It will also be necessary, not only for reasons of sustainability but also for economic reasons, that the raw materials of future materials can be obtained from easily available and renewable sources or free waste products from other industries," states the foundation's justification for selecting Plajer. "In response to these challenges, the project focuses on the use of industrial residues such as carbon dioxide and elemental sulphur as building blocks to produce degradable functional materials."