Kriti Kapil Receives Kwolek Fellowship

Kriti Kapil believes that polymers can be for everyone, and her research is helping to make that possible.

"The most exciting thing is that it is incredibly user-friendly. Anyone, regardless of their background as a chemist, can grasp the technique," said Kapil, a graduate student in Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Chemistry. "It opens the door for researchers from interdisciplinary fields to delve into the realm of polymers, allowing them to expand the scope of their research by varying polymer compositions, architectures, and functionalities for diverse applications."

Polymers are a large group of natural and synthetic substances composed of repeating patterns of large molecules. Synthetic polymers have a variety of applications from nylon and polyester, which are used to make clothes, to car tires and glue.

Kapil works to develop oxygen-tolerant polymerization systems, which would allow polymers to be created in less stringent conditions with less complex equipment. This would allow the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique designed by Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, J.C. Warner University Professor of Natural Sciences, to be activated by visible light in aqueous environments.

"This work took away all the complexities of the setup and equipment that was necessary in the beginning, and that actually opened up avenues for applying controlled radical polymerization technique for synthesizing hyperbranched polymers, protein-bioconjugates and functional polymers for bacterial detection systems," Kapil said. "Photo-ATRP is rapid, practical and simple technique that enables well-controlled polymers for broader use."

Kapil has shared her research with a wider audience from academia and industry through presentations at the Gordon conference, the ACS National Meeting and during Controlled Radical Polymerization consortium meetings. Her work was recognized both in and outside the Matyjaszewski Group, leading to multiple publications.

Besides her work with the Matyjaszewski Group, Kapil worked as a summer intern for Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the summer of 2023. There, she used her expertise in polymer chemistry to help develop a biocompatible coating for a biomedical device. She said that her experience helped her understand the interdisciplinary applications of polymers.

"It was kind of mind-opening," Kapil said. "I realized that polymer chemistry can be used in more than chemical companies and tech companies, and I had a great experience."

Because of her work, Kapil received the Kwolek Fellowship in Chemistry. The fellowship is awarded to women working toward their Ph.D. in chemistry who have demonstrated significant advances in their research.

Matyjaszewski said that Kapil's advancements in the ATRP technique and polymer chemistry made her an exemplary candidate for the Kwolek Fellowship.

"Kriti stands out as one of the most dynamic and imaginative graduate students in our group," Matyjaszewski said. "As a recipient of the Kwolek fellowship, she seamlessly integrates the practical application of obtained materials with a deep fundamental understanding of her systems. Beyond her academic pursuits, she also plays a crucial role as our lab co-manager, contributing to the creation of a safe and enjoyable working environment in our laboratory."

Kapil plans to defend her thesis in May and graduate this year. She plans to go into industry, where she hopes to further advance polymer development.

"One day, I think all of these methods will be adopted by industries, and that would make polymer creation a lot greener, less time-consuming, less expensive, and much safer because it requires fewer chemicals," Kapil said. "I'm excited to see that all come into action one day."