Plenary Speakers

EDUCATION: Ph.D. Solid State Physics, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University

                      (Rhondda Research Scholar)

 SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

 As Director of the Center for Basic Sciences at NREL, Satyen Deb was responsible for the R&D management of a center comprising of over 100 scientists engaged in basic and applied research in materials, chemicals, and biosciences. These disciplines underpin various renewable energy technologies, such as photovoltaics (PV), photoconversion, bioconversion, generation, and storage of H2, superconductivity, and building technologies. Over three decades of productive career at NREL, he played a crucial role in developing NREL’s outstanding in-house research capabilities in areas such as PV materials and devices involving crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, thin films (CIGS,CdTe), and III-V semiconductors, which led to world-record efficiencies; electrochromic materials and device research, nanoscience and technology, condensed matter theory, where his leadership is internationally recognized; and development of high-TC superconducting materials.

 Dr. Deb pioneered the development of liquid-crystal and electrochromic display technologies and discovered the electrochromic phenomenon in transition metal oxides and several technologically important materials and devices, including dye-sensitized TiO2 solar cells. He has authored more than 240 scientific publications, 25 U.S. patents, and four book chapters. Prior to joining NREL in 1978, he held senior research and management positions at Optel Corp. (Princeton, NJ), American Cyanamid Co. (Stamford, CT), CNRS Lab (France), and NRC (Ottawa, Canada). He served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado (CU) and Colorado School of Mines, Sogang University Korea and was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Optical Computation Center at CU. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He has organized many national /international conferences and workshops and lectured extensively throughout the world.

Dr. John R. Reynolds is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology with expertise in polymer chemistry. He serves as a member of the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE) and is the founding Director of the Georgia Tech Polymer Network (GTPN).  His research interests have involved electrically conducting and electroactive conjugated polymers for ~40 years with work focused to the development of new polymers by manipulating their fundamental organic structure in order to control their optoelectronic and redox properties.  His group has been heavily involved in developing new polyheterocycles for visible and infrared light electrochromism, along with light emission from polymer and composite LEDs (both visible and near-infrared) and light emitting electrochemical cells (LECs).  Further work is directed to using organic polymers and oligomers in charge storing supercapacitors, photovoltaic cells and bio-electronic devices.  Reynolds obtained his M.S. (1982) and Ph.D. (1984) degrees from the University of Massachusetts in Polymer Science and Engineering, he has published over 475 peer-reviewed scientific papers, has ~45 patents issued and ~10 patents pending, and serves as co-editor of the “Handbook of Conducting Polymers”.  He was awarded the ACS Cope Scholar Award in 2020, the ACS Florida Award in 2019, the ACS Applied Polymer Science Award in 2012 and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Materials Research Society.  He has served on the editorial board for the journals ACS Central Science, Macromolecules, Chemistry of Materials, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Polymers for Advanced Technologies, and the Journal of Macromolecular Science, Chemistry.  John has been married since October of 1986, has three children, and he and his wife make their home in Dunwoody GA.  He can be reached by email at Reynolds@chemistry.gatech.edu or see https://reynolds.chemistry.gatech.edu/.

Caroline Sunyong Lee is professor in School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Hanyang University in Republic of Korea since 2006. She received the B.S. and M.S. degrees in Materials Science and Engineering in 1993 and 1995, respectively, from M.I.T., and the Ph.D. degree in 2001 from U.C. Berkley. And she has worked as a senior researcher in Advanced Research Institute of LG, Korea upto 2006. She published over 230 peer-reviewed papers and her main research field is electrochromic displays, artificial photosynthesis, 3-D printing and nano materials synthesis. She is currently director of IEEP (Innovative Energy Education Program) of ATC in Tanzania as well as serving Director of Administration at the Korean Institute of Metals and Materials.

CV:

2006 – 2010: Master of Science (Diploma, Chemistry) at Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg

2010 – 2013: PhD at Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg

2014 – 2018: Project Manager at Fraunhofer ISC

2019 – present: Head of Electrochromic Systems at Fraunhofer ISC

 Prof. Pooi See LEE is the President’s Chair Professor in Materials Science & Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Her current research focuses on stretchable electronics and energy devices such as electrochromics, energy harvestors, soft actuators for human-machine interface and soft robotics. Professor Lee received the Nanyang Research Award in 2016 and the Nanyang Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award in 2018. She was awarded the NRF Investigatorship, Class of 2016. Her research outcomes have led to her being listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics in 2018-2023. She was elected the National Academy of Inventors Fellow in 2020, MRS Fellow 2022 and RSC Fellow 2022. She won the SNIC-AsCA2019 Distinguished Woman Chemist Award 2022. She is the Senior Editor of ACS Energy Letters and serves on the editorial advisory board for several journals. She is currently the Vice President (International Engagement) at NTU.

Carlos is Ynvisible's CTO. With a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Nova University of Lisbon, he brings a wealth of expertise and innovation to the table. His academic career exposed him to the complex realm of functional materials and printing, providing the groundwork for his future undertakings. His passion for pushing boundaries led him to co-found Ynvisible, a pioneering company at the forefront of electrochromic technology. Over a span of 14 years, he served as a driving force behind the company's technological and product advancements. In this role, he managed diverse projects, including contract research for global brands, and spearheaded large-scale R&D initiatives, securing funding for innovations in electrochromic technology. Throughout his tenure, he cultivated Ynvisible's technical network, fostering valuable partnerships with renowned research institutions and experts in the field of printed electronics. As Ynvisible's Chief Technology Officer, he oversees the technical content of our patent portfolio and drive all scientific and technical activities within the company, ensuring Ynvisible’s continued leadership in the field.

Dr. Anna Österholm is a Principal Research Scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology. She earned her PhD in analytical electrochemistry from Åbo Akademi University in Finland and has been active in the area of electroactive polymers for two decades. Her main research interest include probing structure-property relationships of conjugated organic molecules and polymers, electrochromic devices and applications, solution processing and printing of electrochromic polymers, and conjugated polymer electrochemistry. Dr. Österholm has contributed to over 50 research articles, authored two book chapters on electrochromism, and holds co-inventorship on six patent applications in electrochromic polymers and small molecules.

Javier Padilla works as an associate professor in the Department of Applied Physics at the Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT), Spain, where he is the head of the Advanced Materials for energy Production and Storage research group (https://mapa-upct.es/?page_id=370&lang=en ). He received his degree in Physics from the University of Valladolid (2001) and his Ph.D. from UPCT (2006)

Javier has been involved in electrochromism related research for the least 20 years, with special focus on conducting polymers. Other aspects of his research involve different applications of conjugated polymers, such as diodes and organic solar cells. More recently he has broadened his research interests towards the field of agrovoltaics.

He is author or more than 30 papers in those fields, several book chapters and more than 50 meeting contributions, together with a patent.

Davide Bonifazi was born in Guastalla (Italy) in 1975. After obtaining the “Laurea” in “Industrial Chemistry” from the University of Parma (1994-1999) working with Prof. Enrico Dalcanale (organic synthesis and metal-directed self-assembly of cavitands derivatives), he joined the group of Prof. François Diederich as doctoral fellow (organic functionalization of [60]fullerene and porphyrin derivatives) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Zürich (2000-2004). During his doctoral studies he has been also visiting scientist at the Weizmann Institute working with Prof. David Cahen. He was awarded the Silver Medallion of the ETH for his doctoral dissertation (2005). After a one-year postdoctoral fellowship with Prof. Maurizio Prato at University of Trieste (organic functionalization of carbon nanotubes), he joined the Department of Pharmaceutical Science at the University of Trieste as a research associate first and then as a part-time Researcher/Professor (2012-2016). In 2006, he joined the Department of Chemistry at the University of Namur (BE) as Junior Professor (2006-2011) and as Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry (2012-2015). In 2016 he was appointed Chair Professor of Organic Supramolecular Chemistry (2016-2020) in the School of Chemistry at Cardiff University (UK). Since 2020 he is Full Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of Vienna (AT).

In 2010, he was awarded with the “Ciamician Medal” from the Organic Division of the Italian Chemical Society and in 2011 he gained an ERC starting grant. In 2023 he was awarded the “Modena Medal” from the Organic Division of the Italian Chemical Society for his achievements in the field.

 His activities are focused on the creation of functional organic architectures in interdisciplinary projects through targeted organic synthesis, self-assembly and self-organization of organic architectures in solution and on surfaces, physical-organic studies, and material- and bio-based design.

Shanxin Xiong got his PhD from Sichuan University (China) in 2004 under the supervision of Prof. Qi Wang. In 2005-2011, he worked as Research Scientist in Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and University of California, Los Angeles (USA), studying electrochromic materials and their application in various fields. Now he is a professor in Xi’an University of Science and Technology (China). His research focuses on organic and inorganic electrochromic materials and devices. He is director of China Electrochromic Professional Committee, senior member of the Chinese Chemical Society, is selected as one of the top 2% of global scientists.

I started working at the Institute for Energy Technology in 2021, where I now work on photochromic yttrium oxihydride and silicon wafers for solar cells. My research is application focused. Before this, my research field was luminescent and photoactive thin films by atomic layer deposition. This incompasses pure inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid materials, as well as nano-composite structures. A special focus has been on combining luminescent lanthanide structures with organic UV-Vis absorbing molecules.