Laboratory of Engineering Polymers

Laboratory of Engineering Polymers

Current research in the laboratory is focused on the synthesis and investigation of new ionomers, primarily used in proton-conducting membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers. The team's goal is to synthesize new polymers and determine the relationship between their structure and properties. The main objects of research are aromatic polymers, which are synthesized using various types of reactions starting from monomers. From the obtained materials, new membranes are produced and subsequently studied.

Sulfurized poly(phenylene sulfones) are one of the primary research focuses due to their high proton conductivity, exceptional thermo-oxidative stability, and resistance to desulfurization. The group possesses unique expertise in this type of ionomer research.

Due to the complexity of their research, the group maintains close collaborations with several institutions: the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research (Stuttgart, Germany), the Hahn-Schickard Research Institute (Freiburg, Germany), and the Baden-Württemberg Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Center (Ulm, Germany).

The laboratory is equipped with bench-top BMR, IR, and UV-visible spectrometers, as well as a device for fabricating membranes.

Titvinidze, G., Dumbadze, N., Kreuer, J.-F., Klose, C., Münchinger, A., Schare, C., Heck, B., Oeß, C., Schuster, M., Hicke, D. and Kreuer, K.-D. (2026). Rational design of hydrocarbon proton-conducting membranes replacing perfluorosulfonic acids in polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis. Chemistry of Materials, 38(13), pp. 6590–6603. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.6c00775. Impact Factor: 7.1.

Stiegeler, J., Yazili-Marini, D., Piesold, C., Rusitov, D., Titvinidze, G., Koch, S., Dumbadze, N., Joachimsen, N., Münchinger, A., de Wild, T. and Klose, C. (2026). Localized ionomer degradation analysis of sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfones) in fuel cell applications using confocal Raman microscopy. RSC Applied Polymers, 4, pp. 408–421. DOI: 10.1039/D5LP00284B.

Schare, C., Titvinidze, G., Piesold, C., Cruz-Ortiz, E., Dumbadze, N., Schuster, M., Kreuer, K.D., Klose, C. and Münchinger, A. (2026). Thin reinforced sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfone) membranes for durable water electrolysis: Suppressed swelling and enhanced stability over 2000 hours. Advanced Energy Materials, 2026, e05888. DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202505888. Impact Factor: 26.0.

Piesold, C., Schare, C., Klose, C., Viviani, M. and Titvinidze, G. (2026). Novel branched sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfone)s for PEM-water electrolysis application. Polymer Bulletin, 83, 129. DOI: 10.1007/s00289-025-06098-3. Impact Factor

Nemeth, T., Saatkamp, T., Nauser, T., de Wild, T., Yazili-Marini, D., Titvinidze, G., Miyatake, K. and Gubler, L. (2026). Chemical resilience of hydrocarbon-based PEMs in fuel cells: Effect of aromatic electron density on molecular degradation and in-situ aging. Journal of Power Sources, 674, 239794. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2026.239794. Impact Factor: 8.4.

Navrozashvili, M., Kevkhishvili, N., Münchinger, A. and Titvinidze, G. (2026). Solvent-mediated thermal crosslinking of sulfonated aromatic polymers. ACS Applied Polymer Materials. Accepted. Impact Factor: 5.2.

Dumbadze, N., Viviani, M., Kreuer, K.-D. and Titvinidze, G. (2024). A simple and cost-efficient route to prepare sulfonated dihalo-monomers for synthesizing sulfonated aromatic PEMs. RSC Advances, 14, pp. 37272–37277. Impact Factor: 3.9.

Schare, C., Titvinidze, G., Platenburg, N., Viviani, M., Cruz Ortiz, E., Vierrath, S., Kreuer, K.-D., Klose, C. and Münchinger, A. (2025). Crosslinked sulfonated polyphenylenes: Overcoming the performance–gas permeation–stability trilemma in water electrolyzers. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 13, pp. 19292–19296. Impact Factor: 9.5.

Yazili-Marini, D., Talley Fogang, L., Marini, E., Morawietz, T., Titvinidze, G., Bansmann, J., Hölzle, M. and Jörissen, L. (2025). Exploring the integration of sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfone) ionomers into the cathode catalyst layers of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources, 641, 236896. Impact Factor: 7.9.

Dumbadze, N., Viviani, M., Kreuer, K.-D. and Titvinidze, G. (2024). A simple and cost-efficient route to prepare sulfonated dihalo-monomers for synthesizing sulfonated aromatic PEMs. RSC Advances, 14, pp. 37272–37277. Impact Factor: 3.9.

Qelibari, R., Ortiz, E. C., van Treel, N., Lombeck, F., Schare, C., Münchinger, A., Dumbadze, N., Titvinidze, G., Klose, C., Vierrath, S. (2024). 74 µm PEEK‐Reinforced Sulfonated Poly (phenylene sulfone) ‐ Membrane for Stable Water Electrolysis with Lower Gas Crossover and Lower Resistance than Nafion N115. Advanced Energy Materials, 14, 2303271.

van Treel, N., Qelibari, R., Titvinidze, G., Klose, C., Münchinger, A., Ortiz, E. C., Vierrath, S. (2023). Casting Electrodes on PEEK Reinforced Sulfonated Polyphenylsulfone Membrane. Electrochemical Society Meeting Abstracts 244, 1877-1877.

Klose, C., Schare, C., Qelibari, R., Piesold, C., Khutsishvili, L., Viviani, M., Münchinger, A., Titvinidze, G., Kreuer, K.-D., Vierrath, S. (2023). All-Hydrocarbon PEM Water Electrolyzers: An Engineering Perspective. 244th ECS Meeting.

Yazili, D., Marini, E., Saatkamp, T., Münchinger, A., de Wild, T., Gubler, L., Titvinidze, G., Schuster, M., Schare, C., Jörissen, L., Kreuer, K., D. (2023). Sulfonated Poly (Phenylene sulfone) blend membranes finding their way into proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources (Elsevier). 563, 232791

Katcharava, Z., Saatkamp, T., Muenchinger, A., Dumbadze, N., Kreuer, K. D., Schuster, M., Titvinidze, G. (2022). Optimized step-growth polymerization of water-insoluble, highly sulfonated poly (phenylene sulfone), Polymers for Advanced Technologies (Wiley), 33, 2336-2343

Ochkhikidze, N., Titvinidze, G., Gverdtsiteli, M., Otinashvili, G., Tugushi, D., Katsa­­rava, R. (2020). Synthesis of AABB-polydepsipeptides, poly (ester amide)s and functional polymers on the basis of O,O-diacyl-bis-glycolic acids.  J. Macromol.Sci., Part A, Pure & Appl. Chem. 57(12), 854–864

 

https://doi.org/10.1080/10601325.2020.1800411

Tsiklauri, G., Kantaria, Tem., Kantaria, Ten., Katsarava, R., Titvinidze, G. (2020). Synthesis of novel main-chain azo-benzene poly(ester amide)s via interfacial polycondensation. Int. J. Appl. Chem., 7(2), 63-69.

Klose, C., Saatkamp, T., Münchinger, A., Bohn, L., Titvinidze, G., Breitwieser, M., Kreuer, K. D., Vierrath, S. (2020). All-hydrocarbon MEA for PEM water electrolysis combining low hydrogen crossover and high efficiency. Advanced Energy Materials. 10 (14), 2070061

Zavradashvili, N., Sarisozen, C., Titvinidze, G., Kantaria, Teng., Tugushi, D., Puiggali, J., Torchilin, V., Katsarava. R. (2019).  Library of Cationic Polymers Composed of Polyamines and Arginine as Gene Transfection Agents, ACS Omega, 2090-2101

   

http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.8b02977

Kantaria, Tem., Kantaria, Ten., Kobauri, S., Ksovreli, M., Kachlishvili, T., Kulikova, N., Tugushi, D., Katsarava, R. (2019). A new generation of biocompatible nanoparticles made of resorbable poly (ester amide)s, Ann. Agrarian Sci., 17 49-58.

Kobaladze, A., Lomidze, A., Maludze, S., Sakevarishvili, A., Dideblide, K., Metreveli, Z., Titvinidze, G., Tarabara, V. (2019). Filterability of surface water from Tbilisi Sea. Preliminary assessment of ultrafiltration as a process alternative. Separation science and Technology

Kantaria, Ten., Kantaria, Tem., Titvinidze, G., Otinashvili, G., Kupatadze, N., Zavradashvili, N., Tugushi, D., Katsarava, R. (2018). New 1,2,3-Triazole Containing Polyesters via Click Step-Growth Polymerization and Nanoparticles Made of Them.  Int. J. Polym. Sci.,V, Article ID 6798258.

 

https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6798258

Martin-Zarco, M., Titvinidze, G., Garcia-Martinez, J.C., Rodriguez-Lopez, J. (2016). Sulfonated dendrimer- and hyperbranched polyglycerol-PBIOO^® blend membranes for fuel cells. Journal of Polymer Science A: Polymer Chemistry. 54, 69-80

Tatrishvili, T., Titvinidze, G., Pirckheliani, N., Aneli, J., Zaikov, G., Mukbaniani, O. (2015). Hydro­sily­la­tion reactions of polymethylhydrosiloxane with acrylates and methacrylates and solid poly­mer electrolyte membranes on their basis. Oxidation Communications. 38(2), 776-788

Titvinidze, G., Wohlfarth, A., Kreuer, K. D., Schuster, M., Meyer, W.H. (2014). Reinforcement of Highly Proton Conducting Multi-Block Copolymers by Online Crosslinking. Fuel Cells, 14, 325-331

Titvinidze, G., Dundua, A., Mukbaniani, O. (2014). Kinetic Study of Dehydrocondensation Reactions of Polymethylhydrosiloxanes with Alcohols. Oxidation Communications. 37 (1), 372-378

Titvinidze, G., Dundua, A., Doroshenko, M., Mukbaniani, O. (2014). Synthesis and Investigation of New Functional Polysiloxanes. Oxidation Communications. 37 (1), 362-371