Researcher Rafail IOANNIDIS
Position
PhD candidate at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.Entity:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Polymer and Colors, Chemistry and TechnologyCountry:
GreeceTheme: High-performance biobased substrates for printed electronics: The role of copolyesters .
| Rafail O. Ioannidis received his undergraduate and master’s degree from the Chemistry department of the University of Ioannina, Greece. During his master’s thesis (2022) had the opportunity to specialize on the synthesis and characterization of novel partial biobased poly(propylene terephthalate-co-2,5-furan dicarboxylate) (PPTF) copolyesters aiming to replace their counterparts from mineral resources poly(alkylene terephthalates) in the packaging industry. During his PhD thesis (2023) at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki at the Laboratory of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers and Colors he works as a researcher in a European Union program (HORIZON 2020 Research and Innovation Actions Program under Grant Agreement No. 101070556 [Sustain-a-Print Project]) on innovative, biobased poly(lactic acid)-b-poly(ethylene azelate) (PLA-b-PEAz) blocky copolyesters. During his studies, he has presented (oral presentations) as part of his work in 6 international and national scientific conferences, has received a 2nd best poster award in a thermal analysis conference, and is the author of 11 research papers in distinguished Journals. Concerning the progress of his PhD, so far three researcher work have been published in high impact Journal, such as Material Advances (IF 5.2) and Soft Matter (IF 2.8), part of Royal Society of Chemistry and Polymers from MDPI (IF 4.7). Both of them are included as part of the HORIZON 2020 Research and Innovation Actions Program, Sustain-a-Print (SaP). Recently, as part of the SaP project, a novel research work has been published in Nanomaterials (IF 4.4) from MDPI and the prestigious high impact Journal of Progress in Polymer Science (IF 26.1). |
Abstract
| The environmental accumulation of fossil-derived, non-biodegradable, and non-recyclable polymers poses one of the most pressing challenges of contemporary society. Projections indicate that by 2050, global plastic waste generation will exceed 10 billion tons. Among the range of bio-based polymers, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has attracted growing attention from both the academic and industrial sectors, owing to its thermal properties comparable to that of conventional petroleum-based polymers. Thus, the present study aims to develop non-toxic, sustainable substrates to replace fossil-based materials currently used in printed electronics. Copolymerization was selected as a strategic approach to tailor the properties of PLA, enabling the synthesis of novel, biobased, and flexible copolyesters based on poly(ethylene azelate) (PEAz). Accordingly, PLA-b-PEAz blocky copolyesters were prepared through the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide, using PEAz as a macroinitiator. A plethora of characterization techniques were conducted in detail to investigate the overall performance of the materials for the targeted application. In order to test the scalability of the materials, cast film extrusion was employed to produce sheets based on PLA-b-PEAz copolyesters. Both the PLA and copolyesters were tested as substrates for biosensors and printed electronic applications. Acknowledgements Funded by the European Union under the GA no 101070556. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or RIA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. |