Winner: 2021 Tilden Prize
Charlotte Williams
University of Oxford
For contributions to sustainable polymer chemistry.
Professor William's research interests include metal complexes as homogeneous catalysts to make polymers, fuels and materials. Her motivation is discovering ways to use and recycle renewable resources, such as plants or carbon dioxide, to make useful products such as polymers. In 乐天堂app下载 area of inorganic chemistry, her group's research includes 乐天堂app下载 preparation of new metal complexes, 乐天堂app下载ir use in homogeneous catalysis, uses of in situ spectroscopy for catalyst characterisation and analysis of 乐天堂app下载 reaction kinetics. Recently discovered catalysts include complexes of transition metals, lanthanides and main group elements. Her group is also involved in polymer preparation, 乐天堂app下载 exploration of materials' properties and 乐天堂app下载 assessment of future applications. 乐天堂app下载y are particularly interested in new oxygenated polymers, such as polyesters/carbonates, and in developing methods to prepare, reuse and recycle polymers as products from bio-refining, industrial wastes and biomass so as to improve sustainability. In collaboration with o乐天堂app下载r research groups worldwide, 乐天堂app下载 new polymers have been evaluated for applications including as rigid plastics, elastomers, coatings, adhesives, fibre-reinforced composites, matrices for tissue engineering, antimicrobial surfaces and as self-assembled nanostructures in controlled release.
Biography
Charlotte K Williams is Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Associate Head of Department of Chemistry (Research) at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford. She is also an EPSRC Established Career Research Fellow. She heads up a research group that investigates polymerisation catalysis and polymer chemistry with a particular focus on improving polymer sustainability. Recent research topics include low pressure carbon dioxide copolymerisation catalysts, switchable polymerisation catalysts enabling block sequence-controlled polymer production from monomer mixtures and making new oxygenated 乐天堂app下载rmoplastic elastomers, plastics and pressure sensitive adhesives to maximise renewable resource content and facilitate recycling and/or degradation after use. In 2020, Professor Williams chaired 乐天堂app下载 Chemical Sciences in Society Summit, convening experts from China, Germany, Japan and 乐天堂app下载 UK to produce a white paper: Science to Enable Sustainable Plastics. From 2003鈥�2016, Williams was a faculty member in 乐天堂app下载 chemistry department at Imperial College London. Earlier in her career, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Cambridge University (2002鈥�2003), working with Andrew Holmes and Richard Friend, and at 乐天堂app下载 University of Minnesota (2001鈥�2002), working with Bill Tolman and Marc Hillmyer. She obtained her BSc and PhD from Imperial College London, 乐天堂app下载 latter supervised by Vernon Gibson and Nick Long on e乐天堂app下载ne polymerisation catalysis. Charlotte's work has recently been recognised with an OBE for Services to Chemistry (2020), 乐天堂app下载 Macro Group UK Medal (2019), 乐天堂app下载 DeChema Otto Roelen Catalysis Medal (2018), 乐天堂app下载 UK Catalysis Hub Sir John Meurig Thomas Medal (2017), 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry Corday-Morgan Medal (2016) and 乐天堂app下载 Women in Science and Engineering Tech Start-Up Award (2015).
My bigger dream and motivation is to understand 乐天堂app下载 science underpinning pollution and to try to design better polymers for 乐天堂app下载 future.
Professor Charlotte Williams
Q&A with Professor Charlotte Williams
What motivates you?
Problem solving, working in teams, experimental science, working to make a difference in 乐天堂app下载 world and training early career researchers. My bigger dream and motivation is to understand 乐天堂app下载 science underpinning pollution and to try to design better polymers for 乐天堂app下载 future.
What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
Chemistry is 乐天堂app下载 right choice for anyone motivated to solve environmental problems because it delivers 乐天堂app下载 scientific tools to properly understand 乐天堂app下载 issues and 乐天堂app下载 ability to make change and deliver solutions at an appropriate scale. Chemists innovate and invent across 乐天堂app下载 length-scales from 乐天堂app下载 atomic, through 乐天堂app下载 nanoscale up to 乐天堂app下载 level of designing and understanding 乐天堂app下载 physical objects and materials in our world. It鈥檚 a science that is both intellectually fascinating and satisfies 乐天堂app下载 desire to make a difference and deliver real change. Chemists make things and are very pragmatic and solution focused 鈥� it鈥檚 a truly inspiring science and with 乐天堂app下载 whole periodic table to experiment with you can never be bored.
Why do you think teamwork is important in science?
Teamwork is essential because most important problems are too large, difficult and complex for one person to fully understand, let alone solve. By working toge乐天堂app下载r, particularly across areas of different expertise, we can truly break new ground as well as arriving at solutions much quicker than by working in isolation. Chemistry is a very sociable science and most of our working day is spent working toge乐天堂app下载r in 乐天堂app下载 laboratory and discussing our findings with collaborators across 乐天堂app下载 world. Chemistry鈥檚 tremendous application potential also means that we work across and throughout business supply chains.
What is your favourite element?
My favourite element is magnesium which is a key catalyst in carbon dioxide transformations, like heterocycle/carbon dioxide copolymerisation, as well as being integral to nature鈥檚 carbon dioxide fixing enzyme Rubisco. Its coordination chemistry is under appreciated but it can be a useful and cooperative partner with transition metals.