The Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of AS CR, Prague, Czech Republic - Research Institutes on Waymarking.com

The history of the Czech macromolecular chemistry began in the early 1940s. Several research institutions in polymer chemistry were established within the next decade.
Otto Wichterle Two outstanding events had to happen to attract the necessary support of the then communistic government. The first was the implementation of the industrial production of polycaprolactam (Silon) and the second was the great success of the IUPAC International Symposium on Macromolecules which took place in Prague in 1957. As a fortunate consequence the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry (IMC) within the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences was established in 1959.
The first director of the Institute was its founder Professor Otto Wichterle. The new building was finished in 1963 and belongs to the national cultural heritage today. From the very beginning, the Institute has attached equal importance to polymer chemistry and polymer physics, and it has held a balance between theoretical, basic and applied research. Consequently, the implementation of its research results was pursued into commercial practice. The most significant practical results were the alkaline polymerization of caprolactam and the development of hydrophilic polymers based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate). The latter, in particular, developed under the personal guidance of Professor Wichterle led to the production of soft contact lenses in the 1960s and to intraocular lenses in the 1980s, bringing fame to the Institute.

The Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences especially pursues basic research in the chemistry and physics of polymers, and as target-oriented applied research gains increasing importance, cooperation with polymer industry becomes vital.
The research comprises the three main areas:
Biomacromolecular systems
Dynamics and self-assembling of molecular and supramolecular polymer structures
Preparation, characterization and use of new polymer systems with controlled structure and properties

IMC building

The IMC building ranks among the most significant architectural works of the postwar period. At that time, Czech architecture broke with the style of socialist realism and again established contact with modern world architecture.
The leader of the project was architect Karel Prager with contributions from Professor Otto Wichterle, the founder and director of the Institute in early 1960s.
Many significant technological innovations were utilized here such as beamless concrete ceilings and hanging walls. The architectural value of the Institute has been appreciated in a number of publications on art history. The building was declared a national cultural monument in 2000.

Cited from web pages of the institute.

Address: Ústav makromolekulární chemie AV ČR, v. v. i. (Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry) Heyrovského nám.2 Praha 6, Czech Republic 16206 Website: [Web Link] Main Field of Science: Natural sciences Sector: Government

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