Embodying polymer chemistry with a purpose by upcycling plastics and trapping PFAS

‘There’s a lot of groups who develop new chemistry, who struggle to know exactly what application it will be best for. And there’s a lot of groups working on important problems without fundamental innovations on the reactivity or selectivity front,’ says Frank Leibfarth. But he thrives on both fronts.

Leibfarth’s philosophy is to use and develop synthetic chemistry to tackle societal challenges with simplicity. This approach has resulted in new ways to upcycle plastics and remove PFAS from drinking water.