Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Bill Brittain

  • Regents' Professor - Chemistry and Biochemistry
Portrait of Dr. Bill Brittain

Biography and expertise

Bill Brittain holds a PhD in chemistry from Caltech. The sequence of positions he has held since postdoctoral work at Duke include: DuPont Central Research, University of Akron Polymer Science Department, Vice President Research at Bausch & Lomb, Program Officer at National Science Foundation and my current position at Texas State University

Education

Doctorate Degree

PhD in Chemistry

California Inst of Technology, 1982

Bachelor's Degree

AB in Chemistry

University of Northern Colorado, 1977

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

Patents

  • “Organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials and method for synthesizing same.” William Brittain. Regular, #WO 2008/051616 A2.
    Date awarded: 2008
  • “Synthesis and charcterization of nanocomposites via emulsion polymerization.” William Brittain. Regular, #WO 02/28911 A2.
    Date awarded: 2002
  • “Polymer compositions and products made therefrom having nonlinear optical properties; Methods for their synthesis, and for the prodution of products.” William Brittain. Regular, #US 5,405,926.
    Date awarded: 1995
  • Betancourt, Tania (Principal), Brittain, William J (Co-Principal), Irvin, Jennifer A (Co-Principal), Theodoropoulou, Nikoleta (Co-Principal), Martin, Benjamin (Co-Principal), Rhodes, Christopher Peter (Co-Principal), Wistey, Mark A (Co-Principal), Miyahara, Yoichi (Co-Principal), Kerwin, Sean Michael (Co-Principal). TxState-UT PREM Center for Intelligent Materials Assembly (CIMA), National Science Foundation, Federal, $3822000. (Funded: July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2027). Grant.
  • Brittain, William J. $2.1M Extramural Support from University of Akron (1990-2006), $2115000. (Funded: 2006). Grant.
  • Brittain, William J. Supplemental Funding to Organize 2017 PREM Director's Meeting, Nattional Science Foundation, Federal, $50000. (Funded: August 2017 - March 2018). Grant.
  • Brittain, William J. Sixth Year Supplement to PREM Center: Interfaces in Materials, National Science Foundation, Federal, $200000. (Funded: June 1, 2017 - October 1, 2018). Grant.
  • Brittain, William J (Principal), = (Co-Principal), Rhodes, Christopher Peter (Co-Principal), Betancourt, Tania (Co-Principal), Zakhidov, Alexander (Co-Principal). MRI: Acquisition of Atomic Force Microscope to Advance Texas State University Materials Research, National Science Foundation, Federal, $104476. (Funded: September 1, 2016 - August 31, 2019). Grant.
View all grants
  • Brittain, W. J., Schilter, D., Fieglein, V., & Vasylevskyi, S. (2025). Correction to “Arene–Perfluoroarene Noncovalent Interactions and Melting Point Correlations in 1-(Pentafluorophenyl)-2-phenyldiazene and Related Compounds.” Crystal Growth & Design, 25(14), 5655–5655. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.5c00929
  • Rastogi, S. K., Ciliberto, V. C., Trevino, M. Z., Campbell, B. A., & Brittain, W. J. (2024). Green Approach Toward Triazole Forming Reactions for Developing Anticancer Drugs. Current Organic Synthesis, 21(4), 380–420. https://doi.org/10.2174/1570179420666230508125144
  • Barrett, S. L., Nieves, J., Collins, E. D., Fieglein, V. N., Burns, M., Guerrero, J., … Brittain, W. J. (2024). Isomer-Dependent Melting Behavior of Low Molar Mass Azobenzene Derivatives: Observation of a Higher Melting -Isomer. Chemphotochem. https://doi.org/10.1002/cptc.202400084
  • Barrett, S. L., Meyer, C., Cwiklik, E., Fieglein, V. N., Burns, M., Guerrero, J., & Brittain, W. J. (2024). Kinetic study of azobenzene photoisomerization under ambient lighting. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A-Chemistry, 446. https://doi.org/ARTN%20115114%2010.1016/j.jphotochem.2023.115114
  • Brittain, W. J., Schilter, D., Fieglein, V. N., & Vasylevskyi, S. (2024). Arene–Perfluoroarene Noncovalent Interactions and Melting Point Correlations in 1-(Pentafluorophenyl)-2-Phenyldiazene and Related Compounds. Crystal Growth and Design, 25, 533–539.
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Stanford's Top 2% Scientists, Stanford University. December 15, 2023
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Distinguished Professor, Texas State University. February 11, 2019 - April 29, 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Regent's Professor, Texas State University System. February 11, 2019 - April 29, 2020
  • Award / Honor Recipient: ACS POLY Fellow, American Chemical Society Polymer Chemistry Division. March 2010
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Distinguished Service, American Chemical Society Polymer Chemistry Division. April 2002
View all awards
  1. Chair

    Manager of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Faciltity

  2. Chair

    University Safety Committee

  3. Chair

    Hiring committee for Biology Chair

  4. Chair

    Hiring committee for Pre-Award Coordinator

  5. Co-Chair

    Hiring committee for Vice-President of Research

  6. Co-Chair

    Hiring Committee for CoSE Dean

  7. View all activities