Prof Charlotte Williams OBE FRS awarded Royal Society Armourers & Brasiers’ Company Prize
27 August 2026
The prestigious prize recognises excellence in use-inspired research on structural or functional materials that is both fundamental and for the benefit of society.
Professor Charlotte Williams OBE FRS, Statutory Chair in Inorganic Chemistry and Professorial Fellow of St Catherine’s College at the University of Oxford, has been awarded the Armourers & Brasiers’ Company Prize by The Royal Society, a Fellowship of many of the world’s most eminent scientists and the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence.
The Society’s prestigious medals and awards programme recognises and celebrates outstanding contributions to science from individuals and teams. The Armourers & Brasiers’ Company Prize was first awarded in 1985 and is presented every two years. It recognises outstanding basic research into functional or structural materials where the work is driven by potential applications.
The award recognises Prof Williams for "innovative materials science for sustainable oxygenated polymers as plastics, thermoplastic elastomers, ionomers and polyelectrolyte binders". Her research broadly focuses on using innovative catalysis and polymer chemistry to try to reduce environmental pollution and her discoveries have enabled the efficient production of high-performance plastics, elastics, electrolytes for batteries and even water-soluble polymers for use in beauty and cleaning products.
Professor Charlotte Williams OBE FRSMy work has always been motivated by trying to use chemistry to solve real-world problems and reduce pollution. I’ve also tried to use innovative chemistry to challenge the usual ways of making polymers. By taking this approach of redesigning their fundamental chemistry and materials science, it’s proven possible to make high-performance materials that are both renewably sourced, e.g. from plants and carbon dioxide, and fully recyclable, or degradable after use. Since this award recognises science with real-world impact, I really want to acknowledge the value of team-work with scientists, engineers and leaders in business and especially to thank all my colleagues at econic technologies. It’s been incredible to see my ideas transformed from discoveries in the university laboratories into large-scale commercial processes and products.
Professor Charlotte Williams OBE FRS is the principal investigator and director of the EPSRC Sustainable Chemicals and Materials Manufacturing Hub (SCHEMA Hub) and the UK Catalysis Hub (Cat Hub). She is also the founder, and a director of Econic Technologies, which pioneers the transformation of CO2 into high-performance materials.