Max Hirschmann

I have studied chemistry in Darmstadt, Germany at the Technical University of Darmstadt (TUDa):

• 2014: B.Sc. Chemistry
• 2016: 3-month internship at BASF SE
• 2017: M.Sc. Chemistry (Organic, Macromolecular and Physical Chemistry)
• 2021: doctorate in Organic Chemistry

I joined KTH as a postdoctoral researcher in 2021. My research background is the synthesis of polypeptides that react to external stimuli like light, temperature or magnetic fields. I have investigated the stimulus' impact on the polypeptides's secondary structure / 3D strucutre, particularly by means of NMR and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Furthermore, I have exploited the anisotropy of the helical motif (a secondary structure often adopted by such polypeptides in solution) as mesogens for the formation of lyotropic liquid crystal phases and have used these phases as - so called - alignment media in NMR spectroscopy. 

My current research interest at KTH is the synthesis of polyesters according to green chemistry principles: Thus, by using starting materials from renewable sources / natural feedstocks and by enabling the polymerization at non-hazardous and mild conditions. In the future, these polyesters should pave the way for a sustainable future without waste, in which polymeric marterials get recycled after their usage instead of ending up on landfills (circular economy).