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2016 Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award

The editors of the Journal of Polymer Science and the Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) Division of the ACS are delighted to announce Cyrille Boyer as the winner of the 2016 Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award. The award recognizes Cyrille’s accomplishments in the fields of polymer chemistry, nanotechnology, and nanomedicine, along with his active engagement with the polymer community.

The JPS Innovation Award was established in 2012 to celebrate significant research innovation and achievement in a polymer scientist under the age of 40. The recipient is recognized with a symposium in association with PMSE at the ACS Fall meeting.

Cyrille received his Ph.D. in polymer chemistry at the University of Montpellier II in Montpellier (Ecole Nationale Superieure de Chimie de Montpellier), France, having previously gained a Master’s in materials science. He is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He is also the deputy director of the Australian Centre for NanoMedicine and a member of Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design. His research focuses on novel functional polymers and nanomaterials for biological applications.

Cyrille pioneered light-induced RAFT polymerization techniques, called photoinduced electron/energy transfer – reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerization, using photocatalysts . With this technique, he demonstrated that a visible light-activated photocatalyst can be used to activate and deactivate a living polymerization. A variety of architectures can be made, including decablock copolymers, using a one-step process. He then went on to show that a similar technique can be used for post-modification of off-the-shelf polymers to afford them with novel functionalities. Importantly, the technique is not sensitive to oxygen, overcoming a key limitation in radical polymerization techniques.

Reaching into the field of biology, Cyrille demonstrated that chlorophyll could act as a photocatalyst to induce living radical polymerization. The process mimics photosynthesis to produce macromolecules. Using this technique, he was able to produce polymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(N-isoproplyacrylamide) that are commonly used in biomedical applications.

Cyrille is an active member of the polymer community, having been a guest editor in various journals for various special issues relating to polymer science and nanomedicine, and currently serving as an Associate Editor for RSC Advances. He has co-organized several conferences and symposiums both in Australia and internationally, and given over 70 presentations, including keynotes and plenary talks, at various meetings and conferences.

The award recognizes Cyrille’s valuable contributions to the polymer community through his pioneering research and community engagement. We are honored to award Cyrille the 2016Journal of Polymer Science Innovation Award.