About

Brooks Abel is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of California Berkeley, where he has been a faculty member since 2021. His research group conducts studies at the interfaces of polymer organic chemistry, catalysis, and materials science. His work focuses on developing new living polymerization reactions, with an emphasis on stereoselective and scalable catalysis, guided by environmental, energetic, and economic concerns related to the production and end-of-life of synthetic materials. He pursues application-driven polymer chemistry, aiming to control the chemical identity, thermomechanical properties, and end-use of polymer materials, while also exploring new polymerization reactions to achieve previously unobtainable control over polymer microstructure, architecture, and functionality. Abel's background includes a Ph.D. in Polymer Science from The University of Southern Mississippi, a postdoctoral research position at Cornell University, and a B.S. in Polymer Science from the same university. His research interests include polymer chemistry, organic chemistry, stereoselective catalysis, and polymer recycling.

Research topics

• Polymer chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Chemistry
• Combinatorial chemistry
• Composite material
• Materials science
• Photochemistry
• Chemical engineering

Selected publications

• NCOMMS-25-86761-T_Ionic gel-mediated synthesis of nanostructured chiral 2D halide perovskites with amplified chiroptical response

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-01-01

  datasetOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Atomic-Scale Imaging Reveals Polar-π Interactions in Two-Dimensional Molecular Superlattices

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2026-03-18

  articleCorresponding

  Controlling coassembly of synthetic oligomers into binary superlattices at the atomic level is challenging. We report a strategy for programming polar-π interactions in oligomeric peptoids, a class of sequence-defined peptidomimetics, facilitating the formation of homogeneous two-dimensional (2D) superlattices. N-2-phenylethyl and N-(2-perfluorophenyl)ethyl side chains, similar in size, but with contrasting electrostatic characteristics, were introduced at defined sequence positions to generate favorable dipolar aromatic interactions. The resulting nanosheets exhibit different crystal motifs depending on the side chain interactions: systems containing only one type of aromatic side chain form a parallel V-shaped motif driven by π–π interactions, whereas a combination of both types of aromatic side chains, either within one backbone or through the coassembly of two distinct peptoids, adopt an antiparallel V-shaped superlattice with higher thermal stability, driven by polar-π interactions. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy directly resolved the packing arrangement of perfluorophenyl and phenyl rings in individual nanosheet superlattices, confirming that intermolecular polar-π interaction dominates the superlattice motifs and increases lattice stability. Molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations further substantiate the energetic favorability of polar-π interactions over π–π interactions, rationalizing the formation of homogeneous superlattices with enhanced thermal stability. Our discoveries establish a design principle for binary coassembly using sequence-defined oligomers, which enables control over unit cell geometry, lattice stability, and molecular registration through aromatic side chain polarization and sequence control. This ability to program atomic-scale binary superlattices opens new avenues for designing functional 2D soft materials.

  PublisherDOI

• NCOMMS-25-86761-T_Ionic gel-mediated synthesis of nanostructured chiral 2D halide perovskites with amplified chiroptical response

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-01-01

  datasetOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Molecular Weight-Controlled Cationic Polymerization of Tetrahydrofuran Using a Squaramidinium Hydrogen-Bond Donor Catalyst

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2026-01-20 · 2 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF) has long-standing industrial relevance as the soft block of elastic fibers and thermosets. Despite its commercial importance, the synthesis of PTHF with molecular weight (MW) control beyond 20 kDa has proved challenging. In this work, we disclose a MW-controlled synthesis of PTHF up to 175 kDa by cationic ring-opening polymerization, using a cationic squaramidinium hydrogen-bond donor (HBD) catalyst in combination with an α-phosphonooxymethyl ether initiator at room temperature. Mechanistic studies support a reversible-deactivation polymerization pathway, wherein the HBD catalyst facilitates the anchimeric ionization of the primary alkyl phosphate chain end, generating the propagating oxonium species. The stability of the phosphate chain end was demonstrated by isolating PTHF with high chain-end fidelity and subsequently extending the PTHF macroinitiator to higher molecular weights. This system was further applied to the copolymerization of THF and 1,3-dioxolane (DXL), affording copolymers with tunable thermal properties. We demonstrate near-quantitative chemical recycling of both PTHF and PTHF-co-PDXL back to monomer, highlighting the potential of this strategy for the development of sustainable polymers.

  PublisherDOI

• CCDC 2496252: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

  Open MIND · 2026-01-23

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

  OA PDFDOI

• CCDC 2496253: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

  The Cambridge Structural Database · 2026-01-23

  datasetOpen accessSenior author

  An entry from the Cambridge Structural Database, the world’s repository for small molecule crystal structures. The entry contains experimental data from a crystal diffraction study. The deposited dataset for this entry is freely available from the CCDC and typically includes 3D coordinates, cell parameters, space group, experimental conditions and quality measures.

  PublisherDOI

• Controlled Cationic Polymerization of Tetrahydrofuran using a Squaramidinium Hydrogen-Bond Donor Catalyst

  ChemRxiv · 2025-10-21

  articleSenior author

  Poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF) has a long-standing industrial relevance as the soft block of elastic fibers and thermosets. Despite its commercial importance, the synthesis of PTHF with molecular weight control beyond 20 kDa has proved challenging. In this work, we disclose a molecular weight-controlled synthesis of PTHF up to 175 kDa by cationic ring-opening polymerization (CROP), using a cationic squaramidinium hydrogen-bond donor (HBD) catalyst in combination with an α-phosphonooxymethyl ether initiator. Mechanistic studies supports a reversible-deactivation polymerization pathway, wherein the HBD catalyst facilitates anchimeric ionization of the primary alkyl phosphate chain end, generating the propagating oxonium species. The stability of the phosphate chain end was demonstrated by isolating PTHF with high chain-end fidelity and subsequently extending the PTHF macroinitiator to higher molecular weights. This system was further applied to the copolymerization of THF and 1,3-dioxolane (DXL), affording copolymers with tunable thermal properties. We demonstrate near-quantitative chemical recycling of both PTHF and PTHF-co-PDXL back to monomer, highlighting the potential of this strategy for the development of sustainable polymers.

  PublisherDOI

• Key Intermediate Nanostructures in the Self-Assembly of Amphiphilic Polypeptoids Revealed by Cryo-TEM

  Macromolecules · 2025-04-09 · 4 citations

  article

  Amphiphilic copolypeptoids are known to form a variety of nanostructures (fibers, tubes, sheets, etc.), but the assembly mechanisms and key intermediates remain underexplored. This study investigates the intermediate structures formed during the early stages of self-assembly in diblock copolypeptoids using cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). We focused on two diblock copolypeptoids, one with a free N-terminus and the other with a capped N-terminus, which ultimately form less-ordered nanofibers and well-ordered nanosheets, respectively. Through cryo-TEM imaging of vitrified solutions at various time points during the self-assembly process, the study identified micelles and vesicles as key intermediate structures. Notably, the formation of vesicles as intermediates is unusual in crystallization-driven self-assembly and suggests a unique pathway in polypeptoid self-assembly. The study provides direct imaging evidence of key intermediates in polypeptoid self-assembly, advancing the understanding of their self-assembly mechanisms.

  PublisherDOI

• Chemically Circular Poly(orthoester) Elastomers via Immortal Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization

  ChemRxiv · 2025-08-20

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Synthetic polymers present a unique challenge: while essential to modern life and produced on a global scale exceeding 400 Mt scale annually, their detrimental ecological impact warrants an urgent response to develop more sustainable solutions. Poly(orthoesters) are a promising yet underutilized class of degradable polymers with demonstrated utility in drug release applications; however, challenges in their synthesis have hindered further study of their potential as deconstructable plastics. Herein, we report the first example of a molecular weight-controlled synthesis of a poly(orthoester) (up to Mn = 149 kDa) by cationic ring-opening polymerization of a spirocyclic orthoester monomer. The simultaneous high reactivity and coordinating nature of the orthoester monomer posed significant challenges, necessitating the development of a tridentate halogen bond donor catalyst to selectively promote reversible-deactivation polymerization while suppressing undesired monomer activation. Mechanistic studies revealed that the immortal nature of the polymerization enables molecular weight control, with chain livingness maintained despite irreversible termination reactions, owing to degenerative chain transfer through the poly(orthoester) backbone. The demonstrated scalability, controlled degradation, quantitative chemical recycling to monomer, and tunable material properties highlight poly(orthoesters) as a promising platform for the development of sustainable, circular, and high-performance plastics.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Three-Dimensional Crystals Assembled by Linear Oligopeptoids

  Nano Letters · 2025-07-28 · 1 citations

  articleCorresponding

  The rational construction of three-dimensional (3D) crystalline lattices from synthetic short-chain polymers remains a significant challenge due to the lack of inherent driving forces to enable crystal growth in all three dimensions. Here, we report the design of 3D peptoid crystals from linear peptoid hexamers, derived from amphiphilic diblock sequences that typically form crystalline two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets. By removing the amorphous domains and tuning the chain termini, crystalline lamellae up to 500 nm thick were achieved, far exceeding the thickness of typical nanosheets (on the order of a few nanometers). These 3D crystals form via the stacking of unit cells with lattice parameters similar to those in 2D nanosheets, where terminal groups, particularly compact C-terminal moieties, facilitate vertical growth and enhance crystallinity. This study highlights the importance of atomic precision in terminus chemistry for achieving long-range ordering and isotropic crystal growth in the design of macroscale crystals from oligomeric peptoids.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Nitash P. Balsara

  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

  38 shared

• Geoffrey W. Coates

  Cornell University

  27 shared

• Charles L. McCormick

  University of Southern Mississippi

  24 shared

• Rachel L. Snyder

  Cornell University

  21 shared

• Kevin W. Gao

  University of California, Berkeley

  21 shared

• Youngwoo Choo

  University of Technology Sydney

  18 shared

• David M. Halat

  University of California, Berkeley

  14 shared

• Jeffrey A. Reimer

  University of California, Berkeley

  14 shared

Education

• Ph.D., School of Polymers and High Performance Materials

  University of Southern Mississippi

  2016

Awards & honors

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (20…