How does the molecular structure affect the properties and functions of polymers? What do "smart" materials look like at the nanoscale? An interdisciplinary background in the field of Polymer Physics combined with strong communicative skills brings together competences essential to the success of a research project. The subjects of investigation range from biomolecules, copolymers, and polymer blends, to nanotechnology applications. To shed light on the interplay between the structure and dynamics of the polymers as well as their response to external stimuli, a series of experimental techniques is employed providing versatile viewpoints. Temperature- and pressure-dependent dielectric spectroscopy (DS), surface plasmon resonance/optical waveguide spectroscopy (SPR/OWS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are some of them, combined with other structure (X-ray scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM)) and thermodynamic (differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), pressure-volume-temperature (PVT)) probes. Below you may read the latest results as published in international refereed journals. Currently I work at the innovation headquarters of Borealis in Linz for developing next generation polypropylene materials.

Further information is available in my full CV, in English (pdf, 214 kB) or in Greek (pdf, 302 kB).

1. "Nanostructuring polymeric materials by templating strategies", Knoll, W.; Caminade, A.-M.; Char, K.; Duran, H.; Feng, C. L.; Gitsas, A.; Kim, D. H.; Lau, A.; Lazzara, T. D.; Majoral, J.-P.; Steinhart, M.; Yameen, B.; Zhong, X. H. Small 2011, 7, 1384. doi: 10.1002/smll.201100026.
   
2. "Polycyanurate nanorod arrays for optical-waveguide-based biosensing", Gitsas, A.; Yameen, B.; Lazzara, T. D.; Steinhart, M.; Duran, H.; Knoll, W. Nano Letters 2010, 10, 2173. doi: 10.1021/nl1009102.
   
3. "Effects of nanoscale confinement and pressure on the dynamics of pODMA-b-ptBA-b-pODMA triblock copolymers", Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G.; Butt, H.-J.; Pakula, T.; Matyjaszewski, K. Macromolecules 2010, 43, 2453. doi: 10.1021/ma902639g.
   
4. "Hierarchical self-assembly and dynamics of a miktoarm star chimera composed of poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate), polystyrene and polyisoprene", Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G.; Mondeshki, M.; Lieberwirth, I.; Spiess, H. W.; Iatrou, H.; Hadjichristidis, N.; Hirao, A. Macromolecules 2010, 43, 1874. doi: 10.1021/ma902631e.
   
5. "Effect of pressure on the phase bahavior and segmental dynamics in blends of polystyrene with poly(methylphenyl siloxane)", Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G.; White, R. P.; Lipson, J. E. G. Macromolecules 2009, 42, 5709. doi: 10.1021/ma900831h.
   
6. "Poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate) peptides confined to nanoporous alumina: pore diameter dependence of self-assembly and segmental dynamics", Duran, H.; Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G.; Mondeshki, M.; Steinhart, M.; Knoll, W. Macromolecules 2009, 42, 2881. doi: 10.1021/ma900119x.
   
7. "Pressure dependence of the glass transition in atactic and isotactic polypropylene", Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G. Macromolecules 2008, 41, 9423. doi: 10.1021/ma8014992.
   
8. "Control of peptide secondary structure and dynamics in poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate)-b-polyalanine peptides", Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G.; Mondeshki, M.; Spiess, H. W.; Aliferis, T.; Iatrou, H.; Hadjichristidis, N. Macromolecules 2008, 41, 8072. doi: 10.1021/ma801770b.
   
9. "Effect of chain topology on the self-organization and dynamics of block copolypeptides: from diblock copolymers to stars", Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G.; Mondeshki, M.; Butt, H.-J.; Spiess, H. W.; Iatrou, H.; Hadjichristidis, N. Biomacromolecules 2008, 9, 1959. doi: 10.1021/bm800221n.
   
10. "Self-assembly and molecular dynamics of copolymers of γ-methyl-L-glutamate and stearyl-L-glutamate", Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G.; Dietz, M.; Mondeshki, M.; Spiess, H. W.; Wegner, G. Macromolecules 2007, 40, 8311. doi: 10.1021/ma070792i.
    
11. "Self-assembly and molecular dynamics of peptide functionalized polyphenylene dendrimers", Mondeshki, M.; Mihov, G.; Graf, R.; Spiess, H. W.; Müllen, K.; Papadopoulos, P.; Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G. Macromolecules 2006, 39, 960. doi: 10.1021/ma0621270.
    
12. "Role of main chain rigidity and side chain substitution on the supramolecular organization of rigid-flexible polymers", Riala, P.; Andreopoulou, A. K.; Kallitsis, J. K.; Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G. Polymer 2006, 47, 7241. doi: 10.1016/j.polymer.2006.05.079.
    
13. "Self-assembly of pODMA-b-ptBA-b-pODMA triblock copolymers in bulk and on surfaces. A quantitative SAXS/AFM comparison", Wu, W.; Huang, J.; Jia, S.; Kowalewski, T.; Matyjaszewski, K.; Pakula, T.; Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G. Langmuir 2005, 21, 9721. doi: 10.1021/la051130u.
    
14. "Effects of temperature and pressure on the stability and mobility of phases in rigid rod poly(p-phenylenes)", Gitsas, A.; Floudas, G.; Wegner, G. Physical Review E 2004, 69, 041802. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.69.041802.
    

We are on the front cover of the Physica Status Solidi (c) November 2011 issue!

Book Chapter
In "Functional Polymer Thin Films"
Volume 2

"Nanostructured optical waveguides for thin film characterization"
Duran, H.; Lau, K. H.; Cameron, P. J.; Gitsas, A.; Steinhart, M.; Knoll, W.
Wiley-VCH, Weinheim 2011, ISBN: 978-3-527-32190-2