“I find it particularly inspiring that the materials we study have the potential to meet the future needs of our society in terms of properties, processing, and carbon footprint.”

Having started his career as a synthetic organic chemist, Rolf van Benthem has develop into a materials chemist specializing in polymers, resins, coatings and active surfaces. He is active in the development of new polymers and new levels of control in polymers and polymer materials (such as synthesis, processing, self-assembly, crystallization and cross-linking).  Van Benthem is also involved, both at DSM and at TU/e, in finding new functions for thin films and materials (including self-healing and surface-replenishing materials), and is working at TU/e on sol-gel particle generation control, drying effects resulting in surface structuring and functionalization, and environmentally friendly biobased polymer materials for coatings.

Rolf van Benthem studied Chemistry at Leiden University, specializing in Organic Chemistry and Biocatalysis and graduating cum laude in 1990 (Prof.Van der Gen, Dr Hans Brussee). Subsequently he obtained his PhD at the University of Amsterdam in 1995 under supervision of professors Nico Speckamp and Henk Hiemstra, with his thesis on homogeneous oxidative catalysis for the synthesis of vicinal aminoalcohols and diamines. He then started his research into highly branched polymers  and other coating related subjects with DSM Research in Geleen (the Netherlands), where he currently is Corporate Science Fellow for Macromolecular Sciences. Since 2002 he is part-time professor of Coatings Technology at TU Eindhoven (TU/e), now at the Physical Chemistry group of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. 

• DPI
• TKI Chemistry, Programmaraad Chemistry of Advanced Materials

Partners in (semi-)industry

• DSM
• VVVF