Charlotte Williams

Charlotte Williams is a British scientist who holds the Professorship of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Oxford.^[1] Her research focuses on the synthesis of novel catalysts with an expertise in organometallic chemistry and polymer materials chemistry.^[2]

Williams studied chemistry at Imperial College London, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in chemistry. She completed a PhD with Vernon C. Gibson and Nick Long.^[3][4]

Williams joined the University of Cambridge as a postdoctoral research associate working with Andrew Bruce Holmes and Richard Friend.^[5] Here she focused on the synthesis of electroactive polymers.^[5] She then moved to the University of Minnesota, working in the group of Marc Hillymer and William Tollman on zinc catalysis.^[6]

In 2003 Williams was appointed to Imperial College London as a lecturer.^[7] She was appointed a Senior Lecturer in 2007, a Reader in 2009 and a Professor in 2012.^[5] Here she developed sugar-based biodegradable polymers that were produced from lignocellulosic biomass.^[8][9] During her time at Imperial she was an inventor of several granted patents.^[3]

She joined Trinity College, Oxford, in 2016.^[10] Her research focuses on metal complexes for use in homogeneous polymerisation catalysis.^[10] She identified catalysts that could use carbon dioxide as a raw material for polymers, which prompted Williams to start Econic Technologies.^[10] Econic Technologies has received more than £13 million in funding.^{[11][12][13][14]} She also identified transition metal complex catalysts, biorenewable polymers and liquid fuel production.^[15] She has developed switchable catalysts that allow the combination of monomers into block copolymers.^[16][17][10] Working with Milo Shaffer at Imperial College London, Williams uses nanoparticles in polymer composites.^[18] She is a member of the London Centre for Nanotechnology.^[19]

She appears regularly in the media, including on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time^[20] and at museums and festivals.^[21][22] In 2015 she won the WISE Campaign research award for her eco-plastics start-up.^[23]

In June 2024, Williams was appointed to the Professorship of Inorganic Chemistry, one of the five Statutory Professorships in Chemistry at the University of Oxford and took up a fellowship of St Catherine's College.

• 2021 Royal Society Elected fellow^[24]
• 2018 Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker Otto Roelen Medal^[25]
• 2017 UK Catalysis Hub Sir John Meurig Thomas Catalysis Medal^[26]
• 2016 Royal Society of Chemistry Corday-Morgan Prize^[3]
• 2015 WISE Campaign Research Award^[23]
• 2011 Bio-Environmental Polymer Society Outstanding Young Scientist Award^[27]
• 2009 Royal Society of Chemistry Energy, Environment and Sustainability Early Career Award^[28]
• 2005 Royal Society of Chemistry Meldola Medal and Prize^[29]
• 2001 Royal Society of Chemistry Laurie Verangno Award^[30]

Williams was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to chemistry.^[31]