Prof. Dr. Robert Göstl
Robert Göstl’s overarching research interest is to converge tailor-made responsive small molecules with macromolecules to exploit their intricate functionality on a material level. This, on the one hand, is interesting to gain access to materials with unprecedented properties, but more importantly is mandatory to understand the relationship of the molecular and macroscopic structure of materials in greater detail. The comprehension of how the remarkable properties of matter emerge from complex correlations of their atomic constituents and how they can be controlled is among the grand scientific challenges formulated by leading science institutions around the world. Robert Göstl’s goal is to tackle this endeavor in a multidisciplinary approach, which is reflected in his group’s composition. Originally educated in synthetic organic chemistry, he recognized that knowledge in materials chemistry and physics is also necessary to holistically describe complex material systems.
Curriculum Vitae
Robert Göstl studied chemistry at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and has been involved in photochromism research in the group of Prof. Stefan Hecht since 2009. There, he obtained his diploma degree in 2011 working on sterically crowded cyclopentene-bridged dithienylethenes for enhanced photoswitching performance. In 2014, he finished his doctoral research on furylthienylethenes for photocontrol over the Diels–Alder reaction to work on feedback mechanisms for smart mechanophores in the group of Prof. Rint Sijbesma at the Eindhoven University of Technology until 2016. At DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials he was leading a Junior Group developing molecular tools to understand and harness mechanical stress in (bio)materials. Since April 2024, he holds a W3 professorship for Sustainable Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Wuppertal.
Selected professional functions, honors and awards
- 2022 Dr.Hermann-Schnell-fellowship, German Chemical Society
- 2022 Reimund Stadler Award, German Chemical Society
- 2022 Chem. Soc. Rev. Emerging Investigator 2022, Royal Society of Chemistry
- 2022 Top 10 Young Researcher 2021, academics and ZEIT ONLINE
- 2022 ACS Polym. Au Rising Star in Polymers 2021, American Chemical Society
- Since 2021 Member Editorial Advisory Board ACS Polymers Au
- 2021 ADUC Award, German Chemical Society
- 2020 Polym. Chem. Emerging Investigator 2020, Royal Society of Chemistry, United Kingdom
- 2019 MSE Researcher Award, RWTH Aachen
- 2018–2019 Young Scientists Program, German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development
- 2017 Freigeist-Fellowship, Volkswagen Foundation
Publications
| Titel/Autoren | DOI-LINK | Magazine | Jahre | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Optical Force Probes for Spatially Resolved Imaging of Polymer Damage and Failure
|
https://doi.org/10.1002/agt2.70014 | Aggregate | 2025 | |
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Optical Force Probes for Spatially Resolved Imaging of Polymer Damage and Failure
|
https://doi.org/10.1002/agt2.70014 | Aggregate | 2025 | |
|
Polymer Microbubbles as Universal Platform to Accelerate Polymer Mechanochemistry
|
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60667-8 | Nature Communications | 2025 | |
|
Sequence-Specific, Mechanophore-Free Mechanochemistry of DNA
|
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2024.11.014 | Chem | 2025 | |
|
Accelerated Mechanochemical Bond Scission and Stabilization against Heat and Light in Carbamoyloxime Mechanophores
|
https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.4c13319 | Journal of the American Chemical Society | 2024 | |
|
Accelerated Mechanophore Activation and Drug Release in Network Core-Structured Star Polymers Using High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound
|
https://doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202400082 | Small Science | 2024 | |
|
High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound-Induced Disulfide Mechanophore Activation in Polymeric Nanostructures for Molecule Release
|
https://doi.org/10.31635/ccschem.024.202403876 | CCS Chemistry | 2024 | |
|
In Vivo Polymer Mechanochemistry with Polynucleotides
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https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202403752 | Advanced Materials | 2024 | |
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Leveraging Mechanochemistry for Sustainable Polymer Degradation
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00863-9 | Polymer Journal | 2024 | |
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Mechanochemical Activation of DNAzyme by Ultrasound
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https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202306236 | Advanced Science | 2024 | |
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Mechanochemical Activation of Red-Light-Excited Triplet–Triplet Annihilation Photon Upconversion
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https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaom.4c00024 | ACS Applied Optical Materials | 2024 | |
|
Mechanochemical Generation of Nitrogen-Centred Radicals for the Formation of Tertiary Amines in Polymers
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https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MR00099D | RSC Mechanochemistry | 2024 |
