The main objective of the Scientific Laboratory of Safe Technologies for Polymer Materials Processing is to unleash the scientific potential of Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD students in the processing and synthesis of polymers and polymer composites, and the creation of novel associated materials. The work of the residents of the laboratory is aimed at the development of highly-efficient and technologically advanced materials for use in pharmaceuticals and surgery, packaging for food and medicine, microelectronics and nonlinear optics, etc. 

Research fields of the laboratory include:

• the development and design of the properties of materials based on polymers, their mixtures and composites; 

• the use of macromolecular compounds, including biopolymers, for the development of biocompatible and biodegradable drug carriers for their targeted delivery, for engineering three-dimensional phantoms of skin and bone tissues of the human body, for the design of properties of edible coating materials to extend the shelf life of food and medicine, etc.;

• studies of chemical and physico-chemical processes of formation and production of materials based on macromolecular compounds, including polymer composites; 

• study of the mechanisms of polymerization and polycondensation reactions, stages of synthesis, mixing and homogenization of polymer compositions. 

• formation of solutions and melts of polymers;

• blanking and manufacturing of products, as well as their subsequent processing in order to impart specific properties and shapes; 

• processes for the manufacture of blanks and products and their subsequent processing in order to impart specific properties and shapes; 

• study of the physicochemical properties of polymer-based materials, molecular weight characteristics, colloidal properties of polymer-plasticizer-filler systems, depending on the composition and structure, by chemical, mechanical, electrophysical, electromagnetic, optical, thermal and mechanical, and other methods of investigation.

Projects

• Development of the composition, structure, and method for obtaining a bioresorbable suture material for surgery of internal hollow organs based on nanofibers from a mixture of chitosan and gelatin (January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2023, Grants Council of the President of the Russian Federation, Grant No. MK-5304.2022.1.3)

• X-ray laser technologies in nano- and biomaterials science (October 12, 2021 - December 31, 2023, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Grant No. 075-15-2021-1349)

• Formation of theoretical foundations for the development of new functional materials, coatings and films based on water-soluble biopolymers for use in the food industry and pharmacy (August 3, 2018 - June 30, 2020,RSF, Grant No. 18-73-00258), etc.

Accomplishments

The head of the laboratory, Aleksandr Podshivalov, is the winner of scientific grant competitions as a head of projects of the Russian Science Foundation, the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the Council for Grants of the President of the Russian Federation and a multiple winner of grant competitions for young scientists of the Committee on Science and Higher Education of St. Petersburg. The developments of the head of the laboratory with the participation of its residents from among students and PhD students in the field of creating materials for innovative edible and functional packaging of products and medicines were awarded gold medals at specialized exhibitions, including Bioindustry, Agrorus, Peterfood, etc. Residents of the laboratory from among the students have repeatedly become winners of scientific competitions, best report competitions at scientific conferences, and competitions for international internships with funding.