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Event

³ÉÈËVRÊÓÆµ Chemical Society Seminar Series- Michael Malkoch: Blue-light triggered thiol–ene/yne chemistry of crosslinked networks suited for hard-tissue regeneration and infection control

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 13:00to14:30
Maass Chemistry Building OM 10, 801 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC, H3A 0B8, CA

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 Severe traumatic fracturesÌýfrequentlyÌýrequire open surgical interventions, where current fixation and regenerative strategies often lack adaptability to patient-specific needs. These procedures are also associated with a substantial risk of post-operative infection, highlighting the need for materials that can simultaneously support tissue repair while mitigating bacterial colonization. In this seminar, I will present our work on the design of precision polymer networks based on dendritic macromolecular building blocks and thiol–allyl-terminated triazineÌýtrioneÌý(TATO) monomers, using blue-light triggered thiol–eneÌýchemistry as surgicallyÌýviableÌýon-demand crosslinking strategy. The proposed approach enables network formation under mild conditions and allows control over network architecture, crosslink density, and functional group presentation. Examples will include hydrolytically degradable, light-curable networks, yielding both charged and neutral materials. Applications relevant to fracture fixation, bone regeneration and infection control will be highlighted, including antibiotic-free antibacterial polymer networks. Emphasis will be placed on structure–property relationships and on how molecular design and thiol–eneÌýnetwork formation influence material and biological performance.

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Bio:

Dr. MichaelÌýMalkochÌýis Professor of Functional Organic Nanomaterials at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where he leads research at the interface of polymer chemistry, materials science, and biomedical engineering. He has received major competitive funding from the Swedish Research Council (VR) and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, reflecting long-term support for fundamental and translational research in macromolecular design. The research of theÌýMalkochÌýgroup focuses on the development of well-defined macromolecular architectures and precision polymer networks with controlled structure–property relationships. A central theme is the use of modular and efficient chemistries including thiol-ene/yneÌýclick reactions to enable spatiotemporal control over network formation under mild, biologically compatible conditions. These strategies allow the tailoring of mechanical performance, degradation behaviour, and biological function across a range of soft and hard tissue applications. Current research directions include light-curable materials for tissue fixation and regeneration, antibiotic-free antibacterial polymers and hydrogels designed to addressÌýchallenges associated with bacterial resistance, and nanoscopic delivery systems based on dendritic and oligomeric platforms. His work spans molecular synthesis, materials characterization, and biological evaluation, with an emphasis on robustness, scalability, and translational relevance. Dr.ÌýMalkochÌýhas authored approximately 150 peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor on more than 20 patents. He is actively involved in interdisciplinary collaborations and the training of graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in polymer chemistry and functional materials science.Ìý

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