Jill Alty

Chemical transformations are the bedrock of materials science, defining the boundaries of what can be synthesized. To meet evolving demands in health and sustainability, it is essential to develop new chemical transformations. These can range from cutting-edge techniques like emerging C–H functionalization to well-established methods such as deprotection chemistry. I propose to leverage fundamental organic chemistry reactions to drive material transformations during polymerization, upon stimulus, or post-use to interrogate outstanding biological questions.

10) Alty, J. W.; Barnes, C. E.; Nicoli, A.; Turner, B. S.; Beneman, E. A.; Dugan, A. E.; Brucks, S.D.; Kruger, A. G.; Schrock, R. R.; Ribbeck, K.; Kiessling, L. L. Synthetic Mucins as Glycan-Defined Prebiotics. ACS Central Science 2025, 11, 918–926. [doi]

 

9) Dugan, A. E.; Syangtan, D.; Nonnecke, E. B.; Chorghade, R. S.; Peiffer, A. L.; Yao, J. J.; Ille-Bunn, J.; Sergio, D.; Pishchany, G.; Dhennezel, C.; Vlamakis, H.; Bae, S.; Johnson, S.; Ellis, C.; Ghosh, S.; Alty, J. W.; Barnes, C. E.; Krupkin, M.; Cárcamo-Oyarce, G.; Ribbeck, K.; Xavier, R. J.; Bevins, C. L.; Kiessling, L. L. Intelectin-2 is a Broad-Spectrum Antimicrobial Lectin. bioRxiv 2025. [doi] 

 

8) Neidhart, E. K.; Pomatto, M. E.; Vasallo, C.; Crater, E. R.; Alty, J. W.; Angelopoulou, P. P.; Alexanian, E. J.; Kearney, L. T.; Moore, R. B.; Leibfarth, F. A. Blocky Selective Postpolymerization C–H Functionalization of Polyolefins. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202507687. [doi]

 

7) Barber, V. J.; Borden, M. A.; Alty, J. W.; Tran, L. D.; Koerner, H.; Baldwin, L. A.; Alexanian, E. J.; Leibfarth, F. A. Modifying Poly(caprolactone) Degradation through C–H Functionalization. Macromolecules 2023, 56, 3679–3686. [doi]

 

6) Fakezas, T. J.; Alty, J. W.; Miller, A. S.; Neidhart, E. K.; Leibfarth, F. A.; Alexanian, E. J. Diversification of aliphatic C–H bonds in small molecules and polyolefins through radical chain transfer. Science 2022, 375, 545–550. [doi]

 

5) Jehanno, C.; Alty, J. W.; Roosen, M.; De Meester, S.; Dove, A. P.; Chen, E. Y.-X.; Leibfarth, F. A.; Sardon, H. Critical advances and future opportunities in upcycling commodity polymers. Nature 2022, 603, 803–814. [doi]

 

4) Williamson, J. B.; Na, C. G.; Johnson III, R. R.; Daniel, W. F. M.; Alexanian, E. J.; Leibfarth, F. A. Chemo- and Regioselective Functionalization of Isotactic Polypropylene: A Mechanistic and Structure–Property Study. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2019,141, 12815–12823. [doi]

 

3) Williamson, J. B.*; Lewis, S. E.*; Johnson, R. R.; Manning, I. M.; Leibfarth, F. A. C–H Functionalization of Commodity Polymers. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 8654–8668. [doi]

 

2) Williamson, J. B.*; Czaplyski, W. L.*; Alexanian, E. J.; Leibfarth, F. A. Regioselective C–H Xanthylation as a Platform for Polyolefin Functionalization. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 6261-6265. [doi]

 

1) Williamson, J. B.; Smith, E. R.; Scheerer, J. R. A Merged Aldol Condensation, Alkene Isomerization, Cycloaddition/Cycloreversion Sequence Employing Oxazinone Intermediates for the Synthesis of Substituted Pyridines. Syn. Lett. 2017, 28, 1170–1172. [doi]

ChemLuminary Award for Most Unique Project as Funded by a Division Innovative Project Grant, 2025

ACS PMSE Future Faculty Awardee, 2024

MIT Chemistry Leadership Award, 2023

NSF Future Faculty Workshop: Diverse Leaders of the Future, 2023

MIT Chemistry Mentorship Spotlight Award, 2022

Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2022–2025

Henkel Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in Polymer Science and Engineering, 2022

Eastman Chemical Student Award in Applied Polymer Science Finalist, 2022

UNC Chemistry Department Venable Award Fellowship, 2020–2021

Excellence in Graduate Polymer Research ACS Symposium, 2020

Polymers Gordon Research Seminar Chair, 2019–2023

Ewha-Luce International Seminar Chair, 2019

Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship, 2018–2020

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, Honorable Mention, 2018

W&M Andrews Teaching Assistant Award, 2016

W&M Departmental Honors in Chemistry, 2016