Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Bill Brittain

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

Biography and education

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

Teaching Interests

Research Interests

  • Lewis, Karen A (Principal), Luxford, Cynthia J (Co-Principal), Wheeler, Brittany Marie (Co-Principal), Webre, Whitney Ann (Co-Principal), Holland, Cory Lee (Co-Principal), Betancourt, Tania (Supporting), Brittain, William J (Supporting), Hudnall, Todd W (Supporting), Irvin, Jennifer A (Supporting), Kerwin, Sean Michael (Supporting), Kornienko, Alexander Vladimir (Supporting), Peterson, Ryan Loren (Supporting), Rhodes, Christopher Peter (Supporting). REU Site: A Chemistry REU on Molecular Innovation and Exploration (CheMIE), National Science Foundation, Federal, $378188. (Submitted: August 25, 2021, Funded: April 15, 2022 - Present). Grant.
  • 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.
View all grants
  • 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 115114 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2023.115114
  • Brittain, W. J., Schilter, D., Fieglein, V., & Vasylevskyi, S. (2024). Arene–Perfluoroarene Noncovalent Interactions and Melting Point Correlations in 1-(Pentafluorophenyl)-2-Phenyldiazene and Related Compounds. Crystal Growth & Design. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.4c01177
  • 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, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.4c01177.
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

    University Safety Committee

  2. Member

    Texas State Distinguished Professor Committee

  3. Chair

    Texas State Involvement at SACNAS National Meeting in San Antonio

  4. Other

    NSF Science and Technology Centers

  5. Other

    Symposium on “Polymers in Organized Assemblies"

  6. Member

    Triangle MRSEC

  7. View all activities