Prof. Louise Berben's research centers around the synthesis and characterization of new inorganic molecules. Her choice of synthetic target is directed by a desire to investigate the activation of small molecules via chemical or electrochemical techniques, or interesting electronic states. Three main projects under investigation in her lab focus on: (i) multielectron CO2 reduction chemistry with multimetallic clusters, (ii) redox chemistry of main group elements; Al(III), Ga(III), and Si(IV), and (iii) synthesis of Low-Coordinate Complexes using Bulky Acetylide Ligands.

Prof. Surendranath is focused on addressing global challenges in the areas of chemical catalysis, energy storage and utilization, and environmental stewardship. Fundamental and technological advances in each of these areas require new methods for controlling the selectivity and efficiency of inner-sphere reactions at solid-liquid interfaces. Their strategy emphasizes the bottom-up, molecular-level, engineering of functional inorganic interfaces with a current focus on electrochemical energy conversion. 

Annie Greenaway is a staff scientist in the Materials Physics group at NREL. She joined NREL as a director’s postdoctoral research fellow in 2018, working on the integration of emerging II-IV-N2 semiconductors with established materials such as gallium nitride (GaN). Her research focuses on the discovery and development of novel semiconductors both fundamentally and for optoelectronic applications, including LEDs and photovoltaics (PV), and on photoelectrochemistry for solar fuels generation.  

Professor Cronin joined the Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering-Electrophysics at the University of Southern California in August 2005 and held the Gordon S. Marshall Early Career Chair in Engineering from 2010 until becoming full Professor in 2016. He holds joint appointments in the Departments of Chemistry and Physics. Professor Cronin has over 130 technical publications in peer reviewed journals and holds 5 patents. Professor Cronin’s current research interest focuses on a broad range of interrelated topics in physics, chemistry, materials science and nanotechnology. 

Research Prof. Hazari's group involves synthetic inorganic and organometallic chemistry, with an emphasis on reaction mechanisms and catalysis. The long-term goal of most projects is to develop homogeneous transition metal catalysts for chemical transformations, which could result in the development of more energy-efficient and affordable industrial processes. In addition, the Hazari group collaborates with various researchers both at Yale and other institutions to use organic and organometallic molecules to vary the properties of 2D materials. 

Prof. Marcel Schreier aims to translate our fundamental understanding into catalytic transformations that use electricity as a driving force instead of traditional fossil-based heat sources. Since most existing processes rely on hydrocarbons as feedstocks and energy carriers, his main efforts are directed towards developing the science for converting hydrocarbons using electrical energy. In doing so, his group develops technologies that will open new avenues for the storage of renewable electricity and enable the electrification of the chemical industry.

Prof. Megan Jackson aims to address global energy challenges by bringing atomistic and molecular-level design to heterogeneous electrocatalysis for energy conversion. She uses tools from physical electrochemistry, inorganic chemistry, and materials chemistry to answer the central question in electrocatalysis: when and how fast do bonds form and break at electrode surfaces? Her group designs and studies electrochemical systems that allow to readily extract key kinetic and thermodynamic parameters and will use the resulting knowledge to design more efficient electrocatalysts. 

Imagine a global society powered by clean and abundant renewable energy. To make this transition possible, society must transform both the way it produces and consumes energy. Prof. Sambur’s research program thus targets both required transformations: solar energy conversion to boost clean fuel production, and electro-chemical energy storage to reprogram consumption. The group focuses on developing fundamental knowledge of nanoscale materials that promise to make these transitions possible. The Sambur group develops new imaging tools to “see” nanomaterials function in working device environments and uses this knowledge to guide materials design. The long-term goal is to advance basic energy science to transform the way society consumes and produces energy.

Prof. Elena Jakubikova leads research on computational studies of ground and excited state properties of inorganic compounds. Her primary focus is on obtaining a deeper understanding of light-induced processes, such as excited-state electron transfer and nonradiative decay, in first-row transition metal complexes.

One important challenge in chemical research today is to simulate some version of ‘Artificial Photosynthesis’ by interfacing light absorbing materials (Si, GaP, CdTe) with molecular, metallic or materials catalysts in novel ways that preserve the essential function of both components. The goal of Prof. Rose's group is to investigate new ways to build hybrid molecular/materials interfaces to integrate and stabilize each component. The resulting passivated and functionalized semiconductor could be used to generate fuels (e.g. dihydrogen, alcohols) directly from sunlight in an integrated device.