PhD thesis supervisor: dr. Urtė Prentice (apply for recommendation)
Investigation of the technological reliability and operational stability of molecularly imprinted polymer sensor materials under real environmental conditions
In the field of materials engineering, increasing attention is being paid not only to the development of new functional materials, but also to their technological reliability and stability under real operating conditions. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are promising functional materials for selective sensors; however, their practical application is often limited by insufficiently studied long-term properties, sensitivity to environmental factors, and mechanical durability. This doctoral research topic is highly relevant to the materials engineering discipline, as it focuses on the analysis of the relationship between the structure, properties, and function of MIP sensor materials in the context of technological loads and environmental conditions. Systematic investigations involving the effects of temperature, humidity, mechanical stress, and/or time enable the evaluation of material reliability, degradation mechanisms, and operational limits. The research will address engineering aspects of MIP sensors and will include validation studies. The work will involve the construction of calibration curves, determination of operating limits, evaluation of sensitivity, analysis of sensor response as a function of temperature, and measurement of physical properties such as hardness and durability. The study integrates a theoretical understanding of sensor operation with practical experiments, aiming to obtain quantitative performance metrics that can be directly compared with conventional sensor technologies. The topic directly responds to industrial demand for transitioning from laboratory-scale materials to reliable, reproducible, manufacturable, and long-lasting sensor components. The obtained results will provide a methodological basis for the design and optimisation of MIP sensor materials, contributing to the application of advanced functional materials beyond the laboratory environment.