The aim of this project is to develop photocurable vitrimer composites suitable for external medical products by incorporating berry processing by-product fractions as bioactive fillers. Researchers at KTU will design vitrimers based on bio-derived monomers using a combined radical and cationic photopolymerization approach and will investigate the photocuring kinetics, rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties of the composites, as well as their suitability for advanced light-based manufacturing technologies. Researchers at VDU will perform the preparation and fractionation of berry processing by-products and conduct physicochemical characterization to determine phenolic profiles and bioactivity, enabling comparison of different bioresource utilization strategies. The project integrates research on bioactive plant fractions with the development of advanced polymer networks to substantiate the application of novel antibacterial composites in medical fields. The expected results will contribute to the advancement of the circular bioeconomy and create a foundation for further international research and innovation initiatives.
Project funding:
KTU fund for internal investment
Project results:
2 Scientific papers published in periodic scientific journals with a Journal Impact Factor in the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database.
Period of project implementation: 2026-04-01 - 2026-12-31
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
Project partners: Vytautas Magnus University
