The SCI® (Society of Chemical Industry), the Editorial Board of Polymer International and the IUPAC Polymer Division are delighted to announce that Anindita Das, Associate Professor at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, India, is the winner of the 10th Polymer International-IUPAC award for Creativity in Applied Polymer Science.
The award recognizes Dr. Das’s outstanding contributions to the fields of polymer and supramolecular chemistry, particularly her pioneering work in controlled supramolecular polymerization, functional biodegradable polymers, and crystallization-driven self-assembly of biopolymers producing organic two-dimensional materials. Through a combination of molecular design, polymer synthesis, and supramolecular engineering, she has developed innovative approaches to functional soft materials with potential applications in optoelectronics, biosensing, photonics, and biomedicine.
A major focus of Dr. Das’s research has been the development of bioinspired strategies for controlled supramolecular polymerization. Her work has revealed new mechanisms for directing the assembly of molecular building blocks into complex architectures with precise control over structure, function, and chirality. These studies have expanded the fundamental understanding of living supramolecular polymerization and opened new opportunities for designing advanced soft materials.
Dr. Das has also made significant contributions to the development of functional biodegradable polymers. Her group introduced versatile synthetic methodologies for preparing structurally diverse polyesters under mild conditions and demonstrated their utility in antibacterial materials, targeted drug delivery systems, and photodynamic therapeutic applications. These advances provide new opportunities for the design of sustainable and functional polymeric materials.
Another hallmark of her research is the creation of luminescent organic two-dimensional materials through crystallization-driven self-assembly of chromophore-functionalized biodegradable polymers. By combining concepts from polymer crystallization and supramolecular assembly, her group has established a new platform for the preparation of precisely defined organic 2D architectures exhibiting efficient energy transfer, tunable optical properties, and potential utility in future optoelectronic and sensing technologies.
Through these and other contributions, Dr. Das has established an internationally recognized research program that bridges polymer science, supramolecular chemistry, and materials science. Her work has generated important new insights into structure–property relationships in functional materials and has significantly advanced several emerging areas of contemporary polymer research.
The Polymer International–IUPAC Award recognizes creativity and excellence in applied polymer science and polymer technology among emerging researchers whose work has had a significant international impact. Dr. Das joins a distinguished group of previous recipients whose research has helped shape the future of polymer science, including Athina Anastasaki (2024), Zachary Hudson (2022), Guihua Yu (2020), Cyrille Boyer (2018), Richard Hoogenboom (2016), William Dichtel (2014), Ali Khademhosseini (2012), Molly Stevens (2010) and Zhenan Bao (2008).
The award includes US$ 5000 of expenses and travel to the IUPAC World Polymer Congress. Dr. Das will receive the award and present the Polymer International–IUPAC Award Lecture at the IUPAC World Polymer Congress (MACRO 2026), this coming July in Kuching, Malaysia.
The SCI, the IUPAC Polymer Division, the award selection committee, and the Editorial Board of Polymer International extend their congratulations to Professor Das!
About Anindita Das
Dr. Anindita Das is Associate Professor in the School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), Kolkata, India. She obtained her Ph.D. from the Polymer Science Unit at IACS, earning her doctoral degree through Jadavpur University, under the supervision of Professor Suhrit Ghosh. Her doctoral work focused on supramolecular assemblies of donor-accepted conjugated chromophores and amphiphilic macromolecular systems. Following her Ph.D., she was awarded an Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Hamburg, Germany, where she worked with Professor Patrick Théato on functional macromolecular materials. She subsequently joined the Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands, as a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Professor E. W. Meijer, where she further developed her expertise in supramolecular chemistry and complex molecular systems. Dr. Das returned to India in 2017 to establish her independent research program at IACS. Since then, she has risen rapidly through the academic ranks, becoming Assistant Professor in 2019 and Associate Professor in 2023. Her research accomplishments have been recognized through numerous distinctions, including the Small Young Innovator Award by Wiley, DAE-BRNS Young Scientist Research Award, the ACES–CRSI Early Career Award, the SERB Women Excellence Research Grant, and election as a Young Associate of the Indian National Science Academy and Associate of the Indian Academy of Sciences. She currently serves on the editorial advisory boards of several leading international journals in polymer science and materials chemistry.
Announcement to be published in the July 2026 issue of Chem Int
See originating call