With the support of a travel grant from St Edmund’s College, PhD student Ziqiong Huang attended the Macro Group UK 2026 Annual Symposium and Medal Lectures at Aston University in Birmingham. Bringing together leading researchers in polymer chemistry and materials science, the symposium provided a valuable opportunity to discover new ideas, share research and build connections across the field. Here, Ziqiong shares her experience.
As my PhD research focuses on the synthesis of photopolymers, the symposium was particularly relevant to my work. It offered valuable insights into emerging approaches in polymer synthesis, film fabrication and applications, while also providing an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow researchers in the field.
Inspiring research and award lectures
A highlight of the symposium was attending the prestigious medal lectures delivered by leading scientists in polymer chemistry.
The symposium featured excellent award lectures from Dr Matthew Derry and Dr Michael Cook, joint recipients of the 2025 Macro Group UK Young Researchers Medal, and Professor Matthew Gibson, recipient of the 2025 Macro Group UK Medal. Their research spans several areas of polymer chemistry including block copolymer self-assembly and functional polymer materials, stimuli-responsive polymers and thermoresponsive gels for controlled drug delivery, polymer biomaterials for biotechnology and so on.
Together, these lectures provided an inspiring overview of how functional polymers can be designed with tailored structures and properties. They also greatly show how advances in polymer chemistry support the development of materials for practical and biomedical applications.
2026 Macro Group UK Annual Symposia and Medal Lectures
Presenting my research
I was excited to present a poster entitled “Emitter-Grafted Organic-Inorganic Hybrids for Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion”.
My presentation focused on the design and synthesis of functionalised emitters for triplet–triplet annihilation upconversion (TTA-UC), a bimolecular photophysical process that converts two low-energy photons into one higher-energy photon. I presented a strategy for incorporating 9,10-diphenylanthracene (DPA)-based emitters into organic–inorganic hybrid polymer hosts through covalent attachment. By introducing acrylate or alkoxysilane groups, the emitters can be integrated into the organic or inorganic domains through photopolymerisation or sol–gel processing, respectively. This approach aims to enable higher emitter loadings while improving dispersion and photostability and limiting aggregation-induced quenching. The presentation also explored how these functional groups influence the emitters’ optical properties, supporting the development of efficient and stable solid-state TTA-UC materials.
Ziqiong Huang
Learning through discussion
In addition to the award lectures, a particularly relevant talk was given by Dr Helen Willcock, Honorary Chair of Macro Group UK, on incorporating functional imaging complexes into polymer nanoparticles. Her work uses polymerisable groups to covalently integrate MRIcomplexes into defined core–shell architectures, enabling control over their location within the particles. This approach closely relates to my research on functionalising emitters for covalent incorporation into organic–inorganic hybrid polymer hosts. The presentation prompted me to consider how the attachment and spatial distribution of emitters within my materials could influence their optical properties and upconversion performance.
Following her talk, I had the opportunity to discuss interactions between chromophore species and experimental details relevant to my research with Dr Willcock. I also met her PhD student, and we discussed our respective poster presentations, exchanging ideas and experiences from our projects.
Looking ahead
Attending the symposium reinforced my enthusiasm for polymer chemistry and the exciting opportunities it offers for designing functional materials with tailored properties.
The combination of award lectures, research presentations and informal discussions broadened my understanding of the field and provided new ideas that I am keen to explore in my own work. Just as importantly, the event highlighted the value of collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the scientific community.
I am grateful to St Edmund’s College for supporting my attendance at the conference and enabling me to present my research. The experience was both academically enriching and personally motivating, and I look forward to participating in future Macro Group UK events.
Ziqiong Huang is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge researching hybrid polymer materials and photopolymer systems.
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