Brooks Abel

Brooks Abel is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the faculty in 2021 after completing his postdoctoral research at Cornell University. Abel earned his Ph.D. in Polymer Science from The University of Southern Mississippi in 2016. His research focuses on polymer chemistry, organic chemistry, stereoselective catalysis, and polymer recycling. The Abel group investigates the interfaces of polymer organic chemistry, catalysis, and materials science, developing new living polymerization reactions with an emphasis on scalable catalysis and sustainable materials.

Brooks Abel is a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, specializing in Polymer Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. His work focuses on the development of chemically recyclable thermoplastics, multifunctional catalysts for ring-opening copolymerizations, and the design of bifunctional catalysts for alternating ring-opening copolymerizations of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides. Abel's research also explores the synthesis of guanidine-containing methacrylamide copolymers, antimicrobial poly(methacrylamide) derivatives, and polyacetal electrolytes for improved Li+ transport. His studies emphasize RAFT polymerization techniques, pH- and CO2-responsive polymers, and the functionalization of polymers for biomedical applications such as cell-penetrating peptide mimics and amyloid β aggregation studies.