The Institute of Polymer Chemistry was founded in 1984, which was mainly based on the teaching and research section of polymer science in the Department of Chemistry of Nankai University founded in 1958. Professor He Binglin, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was the founder of these two institutes. After 1989, the polymer subject in Nankai University has been evaluating as the national key subject; the institute has also become one of the most important bases for the research of polymer science and talents training in China.

According to the key requirement of the national economic development in our country, the research interests of our institute focus on the following four fields: functional polymer materials, biopolymers and applications, self-assembly undefinedamp; nano materials and polymer structure and property. Our institute has made a great contribution to the polymer science and industry in China, and some of our research fields are at the forefront in the world. Currently, there are 53 full-time staff members in the institute, including 1 leading talents of Ministry of Education (Lecture professors), 4 Distinguished Young Scholars named by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 23 professors and 19 associate professors.

In the past years, the research in the Institute of Polymer Chemistry has been supported by broad resources, such as National 973 and 863 Programs from Ministry of Science and Technology, National Natural Science Foundation for Outstanding Young Scholars, Abroad Young Scholar Collaborating Funds and Key Fundamental Funds from National Natural Science Foundation, the Key Technologies Rundefinedamp;D Program from Tianjin Research Foundation, etc. We have had international collaboration and set up technology cooperation with inner industries. So far, more than 1000 papers have been published in high level journals. We have obtained more than 40 awards, such as the Second and Third National Natural Science award, provincial natural science and technology progress awards, etc. In the intellectual property, more than 100 granted invention patents were issued. Professor Dr. He Binglin, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the founder of our laboratory, has won the Science undefinedamp; Technology Outstanding Achievement Award in Tianjin in 2004.

In consideration about the special requirements of modernization of traditional Chinese medicine and bio-medical materials in our country and international research progress in living polymerization, molecular recognition and nano materials, our laboratory has developed a series of fundamental, applied fundamental and applied researches and obtained very good research achievements. Some important results have been published in high impact international journals including Nat. Nanotechnol., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., J. Am. Chem. Soc., Adv. Mater., Macromolecules, etc. Some of our research achievements such as new type of weak-acid anion exchange resin, solid-phase synthesis supports and extraction of Ginkgo leaf have already been industrialized. Those products have been sold throughout more than 20 countries in European and North American. It has made a considerable economic benefit and also made an important contribution to the development of Chinese adsorption and separation functional polymer material, national science and technology progress and national economy construction.