Circulardichroismus (CD)-Spectrometer

• Subject Area: Polymer Research ; Materials Science
• Term: Funded in 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 456842022

Chiral structures are ubiquitous in nature. In addition to diverse other compounds from plant-based renewable raw materials, carbohydrates as a large group of subtances contain both monosaccharides with distinct stereoisomers and polysaccharides, which can form not only different secondary structures but also crystalline structures. The secondary or even more complex structures that are formed via self-assembly of native or modified polysaccharid chains can have diverse morphologies and functions, for instance helical structures for stress changes. Moreover, the polysaccharide-based crystalline nanomaterials, such as cellulose and chitin nanocrystals, form chiral-nematic structures during the self-assembly in aqueous solutions. These self-assembled structures can be further modified or fixed in diverse materials. However, there is still a huge lack of research and analysis on all these self-assembled structures of polysaccharide chains and polysaccharide-based crystalline nanostructures as well as modified monosaccharides. Many self-assembled structures and fundamental physicochemical properties of these compounds are still overwhelming unknown.With the circular dichroismus spectrometer that is to be purchased, novel knowledge regarding these aspects will be obtained. In addition to the elucidation of the stereostructures of functionalized monosaccharides and the chiral structures of compounds from plant-based sustainable raw materials, the self-assembled secondary structures of polysaccharide derivatives and polysaccharide-based nanocrystals will be systematically studied in various on-going and planned projects.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Zirkulardichroismus-Spektrometer
• Instrumentation Group: 5330 Spektralpolarimeter (CD, ORD), Dichrographen
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Leader: Professor Dr. Kai Zhang