William Dichtel

William Dichtel (born 1978, Houston, Texas) is an American chemist and the Robert L. Letsinger Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University. He is known for pioneering work in an emerging class of polymers known as covalent organic frameworks (COFs), two-dimensional polymers, and porous materials for environmental remediation including novel methods for forever chemical (PFAS) destruction and recycling polyurethane foams. Dichtel's research has been recognized nationally and internationally, receiving the MacArthur Fellowship in 2015, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2018, and the Blavatnik National Award in Chemistry in 2020. He also founded Cyclopure, a university spin-off that seeks to bring to market water filtration with cyclodextrin polymers.

Professor Dichtel is an accomplished open water swimmer. He completed the Chicago Sky Line Swim in 2020 as well as successfully crossing the English Channel on June 25, 2024 in 12 hours, 8 minutes.

Early life and education Dichtel was born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2000, where he worked with Prof. Timothy M. Swager. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley in 2005 under Jean M. J. Fréchet, focusing on porphyrin-containing dendrimers for light harvesting applications. He then moved to Los Angeles to perform joint postdoctoral research between 2005 and 2008 with Prof. Fraser Stoddart at UCLA, and Prof. James R. Heath at Caltech, where he studied rotaxanes.

Independent career Dichtel began his independent career in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University in 2008, and was promoted to associate professor in 2014.

2D polymers and covalent organic frameworks: Dichtel’s research helped establish 2D-COFs as a new class of porous polymers, demonstrating redox-active frameworks, thin-film growth on graphene, and mechanistic control over crystallization. In 2025, his team reported the first mechanically interlocked two-dimensional polymer, formed by topochemical polymerization to yield layered sheets with enhanced mechanical properties.

Water purification: Dichtel developed cyclodextrin-based porous polymers that rapidly remove organic micropollutants and PFAS from water. These materials underpin commercial products containing DEXSORB® technology from Cyclopure, which he founded in 2016. He also led a 2022 study describing a simple, low-temperature method to degrade multiple PFAS classes using dimethyl sulfoxide and sodium hydroxide.

Recycling thermoset polyurethanes as covalent adaptable networks: Dichtel and his research group developed a new recycling method for polyurethane foams, one of the most common types of plastic, that uses nontoxic, greener catalysts. The process involves chemical reactions that simultaneously reprocess and “refoam” polyurethane after heating in the presence of a catalyst. The types of polymers that require this catalyst approach are called thermosets, or cross-linked polymers. Thermosets are important because of their superior durability and stability, but these properties come at the expense of recyclability. New methods to recycle thermosets will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save energy and decrease landfill use.

Awards and honors 2026 – ACS Green Chemistry Challenge Award 2026 – Mark Scholar Award, Division of Polymer Chemistry, Inc. 2021-2025 – Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher 2021 – ACS/PMSE Global Outstanding Student & Mentor Awards in Polymer Science & Engineering 2021 – Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science 2020 – National Laureate, Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Chemistry 2018 – Akron Section Award, American Chemical Society 2018 – Frontiers in Research Excellence and Discovery (FRED) Award, Research Corporation 2018 – Guggenheim Fellowship 2017 – Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 2017 – Leo Hendrik Baekeland Award, North Jersey Section of the American Chemical Society 2017 – Arthur K. Doolittle Award, ACS PMSE Division 2015 – John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship 2014 – Polymer International–IUPAC Award for Creativity in Applied Polymer Science 2013 – ACS National Fresenius Award 2013 – Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award 2013 – ACS Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award 2012 – Beckman Young Investigators Award 2012 – Cottrell Scholar Award, Research Corporation 2011 – National Science Foundation CAREER Award

Selected publications Two-Dimensional Polymerization and Covalent Organic Frameworks Bardot, M. I.; Weyrich, C. W.; Shi, Z.; Traxler, M.; Stern, C. L.; Cui, J.; Muller, D. A.; Becker, M. L.; Dichtel, W. R. “Mechanically Interlocked Two-Dimensional Polymers.” Science, 2025, 387, 264-269. DOI: 10.1126/science.ads4968 Natraj, A.; Landman, I. R.; Pelkowski, C. E.; Burke, D. W.; Kewalramani, S.; Dichtel, W. R.; “Nonclassical Crystallization Processes of Single-Crystalline Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146, 16775-16786, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c04674 Natraj, A.; Ji, W.; Xin, J.; Catano, I.; Burke, D. W.; Evans, A. M.; Strauss, M. J.; Ateia; M.; Hamachi, L. S.; Gianneschi, N. C.; Alothman, Z. A.; Sun, J.; Yusuf, K.; Dichtel, W. R.; “Single Crystalline Imine-Linked Two -Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks Separate Benzene and Cyclohexane Efficiently.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2022, 144, 19813–19824. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c07166 Evans, A.M.; Strauss, M.J.; Corcos, A.R.; Hirani, Z.; Ji, W.; Hamachi, L.S.; Aguilar-Enriquez, X.; Chavez, A.D.; Smith, B.J., and Dichtel, W.R. “Two-Dimensional Polymers and Polymerizations.” Chem. Rev. 2022, 122, 442-564. DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01184 Evans, A.M.; Giri, A.; Sangwan, V. K.; Xun, S.; Bartnof, M.; Torres-Castanedo, C. G.; Balch, H. B.; Rahn, M. S.; Bradshaw, N. P.; Vitaku, E.; Burke, D. W.; Li, H.; Bedzyk, M. J.; Wang, F.; Bredas, J.-L.; Malen, J. A.; McGaughey, A. J. H.; Hersam, M. C.; Dichtel, W. R.; Hopkins, P. E. “Thermally conductive ultra-low-k dielectric layers based on two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks.” Nature Mater. 2021, 20, 1142-1148, DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-00934-3 Evans, A. M.; Parent, L. R.; Flanders, N. C.; Bisbey, R. P; Vitaku, E.; Chen, L. X.; Gianneschi, N. C.; Dichtel, W. R.; “Seeded Growth of Single-Crystal Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks.” Science, 2018, 361, 52–57. DOI: 10.1126/science.aar7883 Smith, B. J.; Dichtel, W. R. “Mechanistic studies of two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks rapidly polymerized from initially homogenous conditions.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2014, 136, 8783–8789. DOI: 10.1021/ja5037868 DeBlase, C. R.; Silberstein, K. E.; Truong, T.; Abruña, H. D.; Dichtel, W. R. “β-Ketoenamine-linked covalent organic frameworks capable of pseudocapacitive energy storage.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 16821–16824. DOI: 10.1021/ja409421d Colson, J. W.; Woll, A. R.; Mukherjee, A.; Levendorf, M. A.; Spitler, E. L.; Shields, V. S.; Spencer, M. A.; Park, J.; Dichtel, W. R.; “Oriented 2D covalent organic framework thin films on single layer graphene.” Science, 2011, 332, 228–231. DOI: 10.1126/science.1202747 Spitler, E. L.; Dichtel W. R.; “Lewis acid-catalysed formation of two-dimensional phthalocyanine covalent organic frameworks.” Nature Chem. 2010, 2, 672–677. DOI: 10.1038/nchem.695 Polymers for Removing Organic Pollutants and PFAS from Water Lin, Z.-W.; Kim, S.; Dyakiv, Y.; Gedangoni, E. F. P.; Packman, A. I.; Helbling, D. E.; Getzinger, G. J.; Dichtel, W. R. “A Macroporous Cyclodextrin Monolith for Continuous Removal of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances from Water.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 33761-33769. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c09865 Wang, R.; Lin, Z. W.; Klemes, M. J.; Ateia, M.; Trang, B.; Wang, J.; Ching, C.; Helbling, D. E.; Dichtel, W.R. “A Tunable Porous Beta-Cyclodextrin Polymer Platform to Understand and Improve Anionic PFAS Removal.” ACS Cent. Sci. 2022, 8, 663-669. DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.2c00478 Klemes, M. J.; Ling, Y.; Ching, C.; Wu, V.; Helbling, D. E.; Dichtel, W. R. “Reduction of a Tetrafluoroterephthalonitrile‐β‐Cyclodextrin Polymer to Remove Anionic Micropollutants and Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances from Water.” Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 12049-12053. DOI: 10.1002/anie.201905142 Xiao, L.; Ling, Y.; Alsbaiee, A.; Li, C.; Helbing, D. E.; Dichtel, W. R. “β-Cyclodextrin Polymer Network Sequesters Perfluorooctanoic Acid at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 7689-7692. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b02381 Alsbaiee, A.; Smith, B. J.; Xiao, L.; Ling, Y.; Helbling, D. E.; Dichtel, W. R. “Rapid removal of organic micropollutants from water by a porous β-cyclodextrin polymer.” Nature, 2016, 529, 190–194. DOI: 10.1038/nature16185

Covalent Adaptable Networks / Vitrimers and Polyurethane Circularity Kim, S.; Felsenthal, L. M.; Sala, O.; Welz, O.; Bergeler, M.; Alsbaiee, A.; Dichtel W. R. “Reprocessing Thermoset Polyurethane Foams Using Their Residual Polymerization Catalysts.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2025, 147, 35655-35663. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c11319 Kim, S.; Li, K.; Alsbaiee, A.; Brutman, J. P.; Dichtel, W. R. “Circular Reprocessing of Thermoset Polyurethane Foams.” Adv. Mater. 2023, 35, 2305387. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202305387 Elling, B. R.; Dichtel, W. R. “Reprocessable Cross-Linked Polymer Networks: Are Associative Exchange Mechanisms Desirable?” ACS Cent. Sci. 2020, 6, 1488-1496. DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00567 Sheppard, D. T.; Jin, K.; Hamachi, L. S; Dean, W.; Fortman, D. J.; Ellison, C. J.; Dichtel, W. R. “Reprocessing Postconsumer Polyurethane Foam Using Carbamate Exchange Catalysis and Twin-Screw Extrusion” ACS Cent. Sci. 2020, 6, 6, 921-927, DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00083 Fortman, D. J.; Brutman, J. A.; Cramer, C. J.; Hillmyer, M. A.; Dichtel, W. R. “Mechanically Activated, Catalyst-free Polyhydroxyurethane Vitrimers.” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2015, 137, 14019–14022. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b08084