Dr. Alaaeddin Alsbaiee
Associate Professor
Research in the Alsbaiee Group integrates polymer chemistry, organic chemistry, materials science, and sustainability to develop advanced functional materials and polymers with improved circularity, recyclability, environmental performance and remediation
📍 Bldg. 4-121
☎ (+966) 13 860 5221
✉ alaaeddin.sbaiee@kfupm.edu.sa
🔗 ORCID: 0000-0001-6973-3374
🔗 Scopus: 24314824500
Research Area
⬡ Functional Polymers
⬡ Polymer Recycling and Circularity
⬡Organic Chemistry
⬡Water Purification & Gas Separation
Polymer Recycling & Circularity:
We develop new strategies for recycling crosslinked thermosets, particularly polyurethanes. Building on our pioneering work in solid-state polyurethane recycling, we study catalyst-enabled bond exchange, reprocessing, and chemical transformation to convert difficult-to-recycle materials into high-value products. Our work bridges molecular chemistry with practical processing, including hot pressing, extrusion, and reactive blending.
Functional Porous Polymers for Purification & Separation:
We develop porous functional polymers with tailored molecular recognition and adsorption properties for water purification and gas separation. Target applications include the removal of organic micropollutants, heavy metals, and other emerging contaminants, with emphasis on rapid adsorption, selectivity, regeneration, and performance under realistic conditions.
Vitrimers & Dynamic Covalent Networks (CANs):
We design covalent adaptable networks, vitrimers, and dynamically crosslinked polymers that combine the durability of thermosets with the reprocessability of thermoplastics. By incorporating reversible and exchangeable bonds, we investigate how molecular structure governs network rearrangement, mechanical performance, repairability, and recyclability.
Education
✔︎ Graduate Studies in Sustainability: Harvard University, 2026
✔︎ Postdoc: Cornell University, 2016
✔︎ PhD: University of Alberta, 2013
✔︎ MSc: King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, 2008
✔︎ BSc: Damascus University, 2006
- Alsbaiee, A.; Kim, S.; Dichtel, W. R. Solid-State Reprocessing of Thermoset Polyurethanes: Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Approaches. Macromolecules 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.6c00191
- Alsbaiee, A.; Yamazaki, T.; Bakkari, M.; Cho, J-Y.;, Fenniri, H. Peptide-Functionalized Rosette Nanotubes: Programmable Supramolecular Assembly and Tunable Peptide Surface Organization. Biomacromolecules 2026, 27 (3), 2309–2318.
- Kim, S.; Felsenthal, L. M.; Sala, O.; Welz, O.; Bergeler, M.; Waggoner, C.; Martenis, K.; Cieslinski, M.; Alsbaiee, A.*; Dichtel, W. R*. Reprocessing Thermoset Polyurethane Foams by Leveraging Inherent Amine Catalysts. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2025, 39, 35655-35663.
- Ko, K.; Lundberg, D. J.; Lensch, V. L.; AlFaraj, Y. S.; Husted, K. E. L.; Brutman, J. P.; Alsbaiee, A.; Hamilton, P. N.; Nguyen, S. T.; Johnson, J. A. Cleavable Additives for Deconstructable, Recyclable Polyurethane Thermosets. ACS Central Science 2025, 11, 1355-1363.
- Kim, S.; Swartz, J. L.; Sala, O.; Sun, M.; Oanta, A. K.; Brutman, J. P.; Alsbaiee, A.; Dichtel, W. R. Thermal Activation of Zirconium (IV) Acetylacetonate Catalysts to Enhance Polyurethane Synthesis and Reprocessing. Macromolecules 2024, 57, 6759.
- Kim, S.; Li, K.; Alsbaiee, A.; Brutman, J. P.; Dichtel, W. R. Circular Reprocessing of Thermoset Polyurethane Foams. Advanced Materials 2023, 35, 2305387.
- Sun, M.; Sheppard, D. T.; Brutman, J. P.; Alsbaiee, A.; Dichtel, W. R. Green Catalysts for Reprocessing Thermoset Polyurethanes. Macromolecules 2023, 56, 6978-6987.
- Nkinahamira, F.; Alsbaiee, A.; Wang, Y.; Yang, X.; Chen, T. Y.; Cao, M.; Feng, M.; Sun, Q.; Yu, C. P. Recovery and purification of rare earth elements from wastewater and sludge using a porous magnetic composite of β-cyclodextrin and silica doped with PC88A. Separation and Purification Technology 2021, 266, 118589.
- Nkinahamira, F.; Alsbaiee, A.; Zeng, Q.; Li, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Feng, M.; Yu, C. P.; Sun, Q. Selective and fast recovery of rare earth elements from industrial wastewater by porous β-cyclodextrin and magnetic β-cyclodextrin polymers. Water Research 2020, 181, 115857.
- M Ateia, M.*; Alsbaiee, A.*; Karanfil, T.; Dichtel, W. Efficient PFAS removal by amine-functionalized sorbents: critical review of the current literature. Environmental Science & Technology Letters 2019, 6, 688-695.
- Klemes, M. J.; Ling, Y.; Chiapasco, M.; Alsbaiee, A.; Helbling, D. E.; Dichtel, W. R. Phenolation of cyclodextrin polymers controls their lead and organic micropollutant adsorption. Chemical Science 2018, 9, 8883-8889.
- Xiao, L.; Ling, Y.; Alsbaiee, A.; Li, C.; Helbling, D. E.; Dichtel, W. R. β-Cyclodextrin polymer network sequesters perfluorooctanoic acid at environmentally relevant concentrations. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2017, 139, 7689-7692.
- Alsbaiee, A.; Smith, B. J.; Xiao, L.; Ling, Y.; Helbling, D. E.; Dichtel, W. R. Rapid removal of organic micropollutants from water by a porous β-cyclodextrin polymer. Nature 2016, 529, 190-194.