Feb. 16, 1945 born in Nobitz/Altenburg (Thueringen, Germany); married to Elisabeth Arnold (since 1971) two children: Agnes ­Franziska (born Nov. 11, 1980) und Felix Johannes (born May 8, 1983) 1951 - 1954 Elementary Schools in Winsen/Aller, Meissen and Celle 1954 - 1963 Secondary Schools in Celle, Lueneburg and Karlsruhe since Apr. 1963 Beginning of the study of chemistry at the University of Karlsruhe Sept. 29, 1967 Diploma June 9, 1972 Dissertation (Ph.D.) "Vapor pressure, density, and electrical conductivity of pure ammonium chloride up to the critical point" (supervisor: Professor E. U. Franck) June 28, 1978 Habilitation in "Physical Chemistry" "Quantitative infrared spectroscopy up to high pressures and temperatures – Investigations into ethene polymerization via this novel method" Oct. 1, 1978 Heisenberg Fellow of the German Science Foundation (DFG) Apr. 1, 1981 Professor for Applied Physical Chemistry at the University of Goettingen since 1984 Subproject manager in special research fields (SFB's): until 1992 in SFB 93 “Photochemistry with Lasers” since 1993 in SFB 357 “Molecular Mechanisms of Unimolecular Processes” Mar. 6, 1989 “Carl Duisberg Memorial Award” of the German Chemical Society (GDCh) Apr. 1989 - Mar. 1991 Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry, Universtity of Goettingen Oct. 1990 - Sept. 2000 Speaker of the Graduate School “Kinetics and Selectivity of Chemical Processes in condensed fluid phase” Nov. 23, 1990 DECHEMA Award Dec. 23, 1993 Full professorship for Technical Chemistry at the University of Dortmund (offered) since Jan. 1995 Member of the Editorial Board of the journals "High Pressure Research" and "The Journal of Supercritical Fluids" Apr. 1995 Professorship of “Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry” at the Georg-August-University of Goettingen was offered May 1995 Position of a Director at the Institute for Technical Chemistry at the Research Center Karlsruhe offered, in conjunction with a full professorship for Technical Chemistry at the University of Heidelberg 1995 - 1997 Member of the standing committee of the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry Sept. 1, 1995 Full professor for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Goettingen since Jan. 1996 Chair of the IUPAC-Working Party "Modeling of Kinetics and Processes of Polymerization"; 1997 to 2001 and again since Jan. 2004 Titular Member of IUPAC, Chairman of the “Subcommittee on Modeling of Polymerization Kinetics and Processes” 1997 - 2001 Titular Member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) since 1997 Trustee of the “Fonds der Chemischen Industrie” at the Georg-August-University of Goettingen since Jan. 1997 Member of the Editorial Board of the "Journal of Macromolecular Science - Reviews in Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics" Apr. 1998 - Mar. 2000 Director of the Institue of Physical Chemistry at the Georg-August-University of Goettingen since Jan. 1999 Initiator and coordinator of the European Graduate School “Microstructural Control in Free-Radical Polymerization” together with the universities of Amsterdam (NL), Clausthal (D) and Eindhoven (NL) 2000 - 2003 Elected referee of the German Science Foundation (DFG) since Jan. 2000 Member of the Goettingen Academy of Sciences since Jan. 2000 Technical consultant for expert services for Physical and Theoretical Chemistry to the German Science Foundation (DFG) since Jan. 2000 Chairman of the “Commission on Polymer Characterization and Properties” of the Macromolecular Division of the IUPAC Nov. 2000 Appointment to the chairman of the DECHEMA task force “Technical Reactions” (administration in collaboration with Prof. A. Renken) since 2002 Referee to the Max Buchner Research Foundation since 2002 Member of the council of professors of the Goettingen Graduate School “Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Molecular Aggregates, Chains, Coils and Networks” since 2003 Titular Member of the Macromolecular Division of the IUPAC since 2004 Member of the Central Selection Committee of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation May 18, 2007 Bunsen Votive Medal of the German Bunsen Society for Physical Chemistry Nov. 15, 2007 Hermann F. Mark Medal of the Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Engineering Jan. 2008 Vice president of the Polymer Division of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)

The scientific work of the Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry Group is focused on the kinetics and selectivity of chemical processes in a wide pressure and temperature range and in supercritical fluid conditions. The main work is centered on the kinetics of free-radical homo- and copolymerizations with special interest focused on the investigations into the kinetic coefficients of the individual reaction steps, i.e. initiation, propagation, chain transfer and termination, which directly influence the properties of the final polymeric material. Polymerizations in bulk and solution, especially scCO2 and water, are studied in detail.

Additionally, living free radical processes, such as ATRP and RAFT polymerizations, are subject of ongoing research with respect to their mechanism and kinetics.

Schroeder, H.; Buback, M.; Matyjaszewski, K. Pressure Dependence of Iron-Mediated Methyl Methacrylate ATRP in Different Solvent Environments Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2014, 215, 44-53. Barner-Kowollik, C.; Beuermann, S.; Buback, M.; Castignolles, P.; Charleux, B.; Coote, M. L.; Hutchinson, R. A.; Junkers, T.; Lacik, I.; Russell, G. T.; et al Critically Evaluated Rate Coefficients in Radical Polymerization - 7. Secondary-Radical Propagation Rate Coefficients for Methyl Acrylate in the Bulk Polymer Chemistry 2014, 5, 204-212. Wang, Y.; Soerensen, N.; Zhong, M.; Schroeder, H.; Buback, M.; Matyjaszewski, K. Improving the "Livingness" of ATRP by Redicing Cu Catalyst Concentration Macromolecules 2013, 46, 683-691. Wang, Y.; Schroeder, H.; Morick, J.; Buback, M.; Matyjaszewski, K. High-Pressure Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of n-Butyl Acrylate Macromolecular Rapid Communications 2013, 34, 604-609. Wittenberg, N. F. G.; Buback, M.; Hutchinson, R. A. Kinetics and Modeling of Methacrylic Acid Radical Polymerization in Aqueous Solution Macromolecular Reaction Engineering 2013, 7, 267-276. Schrooten, J.; Lacik, I.; Stach, M.; Hesse, P.; Buback, M. Propagation Kinetics of Radical Polymerization of Methylated Acrylamides in Aqueous Solution Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2013, 214, 2283-2294. Meiser, W.; Buback, M.; Sidoruk, A. EPR Investigations into the Kinetics of Trithiocarbonate-Mediated RAFT-Polymerization of Butyl Acrylate Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2013, 214, 2108-2114. Sidoruk, A.; Buback, M.; Meiser, W. Kinetics of Dithiobenzoate-Mediated Methyl Methacrylate Polymerization Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2013, 214, 1738-1748. Schrooten, J.; Buback, M.; Hesse, P.; Hutchinson, R. A.; Lacik, I. Correction: Termination Kinetics of 1-Vinylpyrrolidin-2-one Radical Polymerization in Aqueous Solution Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2013, 214, 1528. Meiser, W.; Buback, M.; Ries, O.; Ducho, C.; Sidoruk, A. EPR Study into Cross-Termination and Fragmentation with the Phenylethyl-Phenylethyl Dithiobenzoate RAFT Model System Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 2013, 214, 924-933. Kattner, H.; Buback, M. Detailed Investigations into Radical Polymerization Kinetics by Highly Time-Resolved SP-PLP-EPR

Macromolecular Symposia 2013, 333, 11-23.