Rienk Eelkema

Rienk Eelkema is a Full Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Sciences. He leads the Eelkema Lab, which is part of the Delft Bioengineering Institute. His research group focuses on designing responsive organic and polymer materials for applications in aqueous and biological environments.

Rienk Eelkema earned his M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Groningen in 2001, majoring in organic chemistry under Prof. Ben L. Feringa. He continued at Groningen for his PhD (2006, cum laude), studying supramolecular chemistry and nano- and microscale motion in liquid crystalline systems. After postdoctoral research at the University of Oxford with Prof. Harry L. Anderson FRS on nanoscale insulation of molecular wires, he joined TU Delft in 2008. He obtained tenure in 2013, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2017, and to Full Professor in 2025.

His research interests span interactive soft materials, fuel-driven chemical reaction networks, responsive polymers, biomolecule labelling, and biomedical applications. The Eelkema Lab has pioneered catalysis-controlled formation of molecular gels and synthetic active polymers mimicking biological systems like microtubules. Current work integrates signal-responsive networks into polymer materials and explores applications in radiotherapy and protein sequencing. Collaborations include Prof. Jan van Esch (TU Delft) and Prof. Antonia Denkova (TU Delft).

The 15 most recent publications reveal a strong focus on dynamic covalent chemistry, out-of-equilibrium systems, and biomedical materials. Key themes include chemical reaction networks, transient hydrogels, responsive nanocarriers, radiation-mediated polymer reactions, and catalytic control over self-assembly. The work bridges organic synthesis, materials science, and bioengineering, with applications in drug delivery, diagnostics, and smart materials.

Rienk Eelkema has received numerous scientific awards and grants, including an ERC Consolidator Grant and multiple NWO grants (Veni, Vidi, Complexity, Echo). He was awarded the SEFI Francesco Maffioli Award and a TU Delft Education Team Award for his contributions to the Pre-University Chemistry MOOC. His research is supported by grants from NWO, ERC, STW, and the Delft Health Initiative.

He mentors several PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, including Juncheng Liu, Benjamin Spitzbarth, Mark de Geus, Tessel Bouwens, and Dennis Dam. His lab develops new synthetic methodologies and applies them to create functional soft materials. The Eelkema Lab is actively involved in interdisciplinary projects combining chemistry, engineering, and medicine to develop next-generation responsive materials.