PhD student

p.j.leenaers[a]tue.nl

In 2014 I obtained my bachelor degree in chemistry, with focus on material science, at the University of Hasselt in Belgium. During my bachelor end project in the group of prof. dr. T. Junkers I worked on the synthesis of degradable polymers by combining cyclic ketene acetals with common industrial monomers (e.g. acrylates, etc.) in radical ring-opening polymerizations.

After my bachelor studies I moved to the Netherlands were in 2016 I received my master degree in chemical engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The focus of my master thesis research, which I performed in the group of prof. dr. R. Janssen, was on the synthesis of new diketopyrrolopyrrole-based polymers with a controlled aggregation behaviour for application in organic solar cells. In my second master year I went abroad for an internship in Clayton (Melbourne, AU) at the Commonwealth Scientific Research Organization (CSIRO) were I worked on RAFT polymerizations and thermolysis of RAFT polymers in the group of prof. dr. G. Moad.

In November 2016 I started my PhD study in the group of professor René Janssen where I am currently working on the synthesis of (new) organic materials for the use in organic and hybrid solar cells. My research interest lies in the rational development of organic materials in order to get a better understanding of their function in applications.