Department of Chemistry

Our research focuses on designing and synthesizing next-generation soft matter systems, including polymers, macrocycles, and nanomaterials that exhibit emergent properties such as the adaptive behaviors of natural systems. Situated at the intersection of organic chemistry, materials chemistry, and supramolecular chemistry, this work bridges these disciplines to advance materials design.

• Postdoc, Materials Science and Engineering, MIT


• Ph.D., Chemistry, Northwestern University


• B.S., Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles

• NSF ASEE Engineering Fellow

1. Li, R. L.; Sbalbi, N.; Ye, M.; Macfarlane, R. J. ACS Nanosci. Au. 2024, 4, 374-380.


2. Li, R. L.; Thrasher, C. J.; Hueckel, T.; Macfarlane, R. J. Acc. Mater. Res. 2022, 3, 1248-1259


3. Li, R. L.; Yang, A.; Flanders, N. C.; Yeung, M. T.; Sheppard, D. T.; Dichtel, W. R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 7081-7087.


4. Strauss, M. J.; Jia, M.; Evans, A. M.; Castano, I.; Li, R. L.; Aguilar-Enriquez, X.; Roesner, E. K.; Swartz, J. L.; Chavez, A. D.; Enciso, A. E.; Stoddart, J. F.; Rolandi, M.; Dichtel, W. R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 8145- 8153.


5. Strauss, M. J.; Evans, A. M.; Castano, I.; Li, R. L.; Dichtel, W. R. Chem. Sci. 2020, 11, 1957-1963.


6. Li, R. L.; Flanders, N. C.; Evans, A. M.; Ji, W.; Castano, I.; Chen, L. X.; Gianneschi, N. C.; Dichtel, W. R. Chem. Sci. 2019, 10, 3796-3801.