On July 6, 2026, the American Chemical Society (ACS) announced the winners of the 2026 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. According to ACS, the 2026 awards “recognize outstanding work in recyclable polyurethanes [PU], cleaner pharmaceutical manufacturing, sustainable crop protection, biodegradable polymers, [per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)]-free semiconductor cooling and biocide-free marine coatings.” ACS notes that these innovations “reduce or eliminate hazardous substances, cut waste and advance environmental responsibility across industries.” The winners include:
- Academic: Professor William R. Dichtel of Northwestern University and Dr. Alaaeddin Alsbaiee of BASF Corporation are being recognized for a solid-state recycling platform that upcycles PU foams and elastomers, materials typically considered non-recyclable because of their cross-linked thermoset structure. The Northwestern-BASF innovation uses low-toxicity metal and organic catalysts to activate carbamate
