Dr. Ralf M. Peetz is the Dean of the Division of Science and Technology and Professor of Chemistry at the College of Staten Island (CSI), City University of New York, as well as Doctoral Faculty at the CUNY Graduate Center. His research has centered on macromolecular chemistry and functional nanomaterials, with a particular emphasis on the synthesis and characterization of conjugated polymers, segmented macromolecules, and luminescent systems containing silicon and boron. He has advanced the field through detailed studies of acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization and carbocationic polymerization, developing novel block copolymers, star architectures, and hybrid polyurethane systems with enhanced performance properties.
Dr. Peetz’s laboratory also explored nanostructured and processable polymers for applications in optoelectronics, photonics, sensors, and high-performance coatings, integrating synthetic methods with spectroscopy, microscopy, and computational modeling to establish key structure–property relationships. His contributions have helped shape modern approaches to designing functional materials with tailored optical and electronic behavior.
He has published in leading journals such as Macromolecules, Polymer Chemistry, Journal of Polymer Science, and Synthetic Metals, and is a co-inventor on patents for block copolymers and hybrid polyurethane systems. Collectively, his work continues to inform the development of advanced polymers and nanomaterials for scientific and technological applications.
Degrees
Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany (2000) – Emphasis: Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry
M.S. (Dipl.-Chem.) Chemistry, University of Hamburg, Germany (1997) – Emphasis: Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry
Pre-Diploma (Vordiplom) Chemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany (1994)y
Research Interests
- Polymer chemistry and macromolecular engineering
- Nanostructured and conjugated polymers
- Luminescent and functional materials for electronics and photonics
- Cationic and metathesis polymerizations
Select Publications
- Ardolic, H., & Peetz, R. (2021). Segmented Conjugated Macromolecules. In Macromolecular Engineering (Elsevier).
- Singh, G., Ardolic, H., & Peetz, R. (2016). Studies on homologous random and alternating segmented conjugated polymers... Polymer Chemistry, 7(3), 669–679.
- Sengupta, A., Doshi, A., Jaekle, F., & Peetz, R. (2015). Segmented conjugated macromolecules containing silicon and boron… Journal of Polymer Science A: Polymer Chemistry, 53(14), 1707–1718.
- Zhilin, D., & Peetz, R. (2014). Pyrolysis of Oxalates… Journal of Chemical Education, 91(1), 119–122.
- Mukherjee, N., & Peetz, R. (2008). ADMET synthesis of silylene and siloxane conjugated polymers… Macromolecules, 41(18), 6677–6685.
Patents
- Thermoplastic elastomeric multiblock copolymers of isobutylene and norbornene (WO2005003195A1, 2005).
- Hybrid cyclosiloxane-polyol polyurethane compositions (US2005272894A1, 2005).
- Star block copolymers with isobutylene arms and aromatic cores (US2004214951A1, 2004).
