Dichtel

Will Dichtel, assistant professor of chemistry and chemical biology, has received a Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

The awards, which come with a $75,000 grant, recognize leaders in integrating science teaching and research at top U.S. research universities. This year's 11 Cottrell scholars are early-career scientists in chemistry, physics or astronomy.

Dichtel's research involves using tools of synthetic and supramolecular chemistry to address fundamental challenges in the assembly and integration of nanostructured materials. One of his particular efforts is improving the efficiency of organic photovoltaic devices by organizing light-absorbing molecules into ordered networks known as covalent organic frameworks.

He has also pioneered methods for assembling molecules onto graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms with exceptional conductivity and mechanical strength, in such a way that these properties are not disrupted.

The Cottrell awards also represent admission to the Cottrell Scholars Collaborative, a community of about 260 scientific scholars.