Krzysztof Matyjaszewski

Biosketch

Krzysztof (Kris) Matyjaszewski is J.C. Warner University Professor of Natural Sciences in Chemistry Department at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Director of Center for Macromolecular Engineering at CMU. He is a polymer chemist recognized for his discovery of Cu-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) process, used world-wide to synthesize tailor-made polymers. Kris Matyjaszewski was born in Poland. He obtained his Ph.D. Degree in Polish Academy of Sciences in 1976. He was a postdoctoral fellow at University of Florida and Sorbonne University in Paris. He is a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, as well as a foreign member of European Academy of Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences and Australian Academy of Sciences.

Research Interests

Kris Matyjaszewski's laboratory is interested in preparation and characterization of various well-defined copolymers using controlled radical polymerization, primarily catalyzed by redox active transition metal complexes such as Cu with polydentate amine-based ligands. The currently developed catalysts are over billion times more active than originally used catalysts for atom transfer radical addition reactions. The polymers prepared by ATRP maintain controlled topology, composition and functionality. They include various hybrid materials synthesized by covalently linking synthetic polymers with either inorganic nanoparticles, various flat and curved surfaces or with biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. The products find many applications as advanced nanostructured functional materials. They have been used as coatings, sealants, health and beauty products and also materials for applications related to energy, environment, catalysis and biomedicine. At Carnegie Mellon, Matyjaszewski formed a Controlled Radical Polymerization Consortium with other sixty international companies. ATRP was licensed 16 times since 2004 in US, Japan and Europe to commercially produce well-defined copolymers as various advanced materials.