Prof. Rinaldo Poli from INP Toulouse Visits JLU for Academic Exchange

From May 11 to 13, 2025, Prof. Rinaldo Poli, member of the Academia Europaea and faculty at the INP Toulouse, France, visited the State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials. On May 12, he delivered a keynote lecture as part of the prestigious Dingxin Lecture Series.

On May 11, Prof. Poli engaged in in-depth discussions with our group on the application of supramolecular strategies in controlled polymerization. Drawing on his extensive expertise in coordination polymerization and dynamic bond design, he provided a series of insightful suggestions that greatly benefited our ongoing projects.

In his May 12 lecture titled “Coordination vitrimers: introducing inorganic Zr and Hf carboxylate clusters to produce innovative adaptable network materials,” Prof. Poli introduced the latest advances from his team in the field of vitrimers—a class of polymeric materials that combine the mechanical robustness of thermosets with the processability of thermoplastics. He systematically outlined the design principles of using coordination bonds as exchangeable crosslinking points and demonstrated, through carefully constructed small-cluster model systems, that these exchange processes follow an associative mechanism. The talk showcased the unique advantages of coordination chemistry in building dynamic, reprocessable, and tunable polymer networks, and sparked lively discussion among the audience.

This visit not only deepened our understanding of coordination-driven polymer materials but also inspired our team to further explore the intersection of supramolecular chemistry and materials science. We are sincerely grateful for Prof. Poli’s visit and guidance, and we look forward to future collaborations that advance innovation in this exciting field.

（Drafted and Reviewed by Guanglu）