M.Sc. Eng. Andrzej Świeży graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering and Chemical Technology at the Kraków University of Technology in 2019. He is currently a PhD student at the Doctoral School of the Kraków University of Technology in the discipline of Chemical Engineering, pursuing an implementation doctorate in cooperation with the company Photo HiTech Ltd.
The doctorate is funded under the “Implementation Doctorate” program by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for the period from October 1, 2020, to September 30, 2024. Since 2019, M.Sc. Eng. Andrzej Świeży has been employed at Photo HiTech Ltd. in the Research and Development department as a specialist in polymer chemistry and organic synthesis. During his work, he is involved in designing, synthesizing (including retrosynthesis), and optimizing synthetic pathways for commercially unavailable organic compounds, particularly photoinitiators for use in cationic and radical photopolymerization processes, as well as functional materials for use as monomers/polymers.
In addition, he has an excellent knowledge of analytical techniques and significant skills in interpreting results obtained through them, especially using mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), UV-Vis spectroscopy, and IR spectroscopy. He also has experience in applying designed systems for photopolymerization in practical applications, especially in 3D printing, with skills in project execution and optimization of the 3D printing process.
M.Sc. Eng. Andrzej Świeży is also the leader of a scientific project for PhD students funded by the National Science Centre under the PRELUDIUM 21 program. The experience described above is being applied and developed during his doctoral research titled “Design and Synthesis of New Single-Component Photoinitiators for Radical Photopolymerization Exhibiting Photolytic Dissociation with Absorption Characteristics in the Visible Range.”
In his research, M.Sc. Eng. Andrzej Świeży focuses on developing new compounds for single-component radical photopolymerization. The proposed solution is based on modifying the commercially available photoinitiator 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetone (DMPA), which is currently used in UV processes, primarily by synthesizing “derivatives” with an extended conjugated system via aldol condensation reactions. Through the appropriate design of photoinitiators, M.Sc. Eng. Andrzej Świeży has obtained compounds with absorption characteristics exhibiting a strong bathochromic shift (absorption spectra reaching up to 500 nm). As a result, during the photopolymerization process under visible light, the initiator undergoes efficient intersystem crossing upon excitation, leading to efficient α-scission typical of Norrish type I reactions.
The compounds developed in this way fit within the current trends in the development of photopolymerization processes, especially in the rapidly growing field of 3D printing. Currently, the greatest limitation to the potential of 3D printing is the limited variety of available photopolymerizable materials, which is due to the lack of photoinitiators that can facilitate the process with light sources used in printers (405 nm). Therefore, the compounds obtained by M.Sc. Eng. Andrzej Świeży could provide a universal alternative in 3D printing processes.
Scientific achievements:
Summary of achievements:
Project leader of a research project funded by the National Science Centre – Preludium 21, as well as a contractor in three research projects funded by the National Centre for Research and Development and the Foundation for Polish Science. Co-author of 6 scientific publications published in peer-reviewed journals from the JCR list. Since 2019, also employed at Photo HiTech as a specialist in research and development. Co-author of 3 patent applications. He has presented 11 reports at international and national conferences and has received 9 awards for his presented results at international exhibitions.
| Achievement criteria (* as of 06.10.2024) | Number |
| Scientific publications in journals in the Journal Citation Reports (JRC) database | 6 |
| Cumulative Impact Factor according to the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) list by the year of publication | 32,5 |
| Number of citations of publications according to the Scopus database | 54 |
| Hirch index (H-index) according to the Scopus database | 3 |
| Patent applications submitted to the Polish Patent Office (UP RP) | 3 |
| Number of conference presentations at international conferences | 8 |
| Number of poster presentations at international conferences | 2 |
| Number of poster presentations at national conferences | 1 |
| Management of national research projects | 1 |
| Participation as a contractor in research projects | 3 |
| Number of awards at international exhibitions | 9 |
| Scientific and industrial internships in national centres | 2 |
Role in the project:
Research project contractor: – SYNTHESIS SPECIALIST
- Design, synthesis (including retrosynthesis), and optimization of synthetic pathways for commercially unavailable organic compounds for use as photoinitiators.
- Purity analysis of the developed systems using LC-MS and NMR techniques.
- Modification and adjustment of the developed compounds in terms of their spectroscopic properties for the proposed applications.