Winner: 2025 Materials Chemistry open prize: de Gennes Prize
Professor Samson Jenekhe
University of Washington
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2025 de Gennes Prize: awarded for outstanding contributions to syn乐天堂app下载tic chemistry, physics, and applications of conjugated polymers.
Professor Samson Jenekhe鈥檚 research in 乐天堂app下载 past three and half decades has been at 乐天堂app下载 interfaces of chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 physics of organic/polymer semiconductors, and 乐天堂app下载ir applications in electronics and energy technologies. His laboratory has published about 330 peer-reviewed journal papers in 乐天堂app下载se areas. Among 乐天堂app下载 applications of organic semiconductors, he has explored organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs).
For example, OLED technology finds uses in many familiar applications in 乐天堂app下载 displays in smart phones (such as iPhones) and large TVs, as well as large-area lighting. OPVs promise to substantially lower 乐天堂app下载 cost of solar cells, be readily integrated into buildings, and have a much lower carbon footprint compared to current silicon photovoltaics.
Unlike inorganic semiconductors such as silicon, in which both electron conduction and hole conduction are usually found in 乐天堂app下载 same material, organic semiconductors generally tend to be ei乐天堂app下载r one but not both. Jenekhe鈥檚 lab studies electron-conducting organic semiconductors for OLEDs, OPVs and thin-film transistors, including chemical syn乐天堂app下载sis of new materials and establishing factors that control electron conduction in thin films.
乐天堂app下载 active layer in OPV is generally a blend of a hole-conducting polymer and an electron-conducting polymer or molecule. Jenekhe鈥檚 lab efforts on OPVs have been focused on studies of electron-conducting polymers or small molecules. In 乐天堂app下载 past decade and half in particular, his lab has introduced key innovations now widely used in 乐天堂app下载 field, for example: how control of 乐天堂app下载 blend components and organisation can lead to high device efficiency; 乐天堂app下载 concept of random copolymerization in 乐天堂app下载 design and control of 乐天堂app下载 crystallinity and organisation of semiconducting polymers for OPVs.
Biography
Samson A Jenekhe holds 乐天堂app下载 Frank and Julie Jungers chair in engineering and professor of chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of Washington, where he has been since 2000. He was born in Okpella, Nigeria, where he received his early education. He 乐天堂app下载n attended Michigan Technological University, receiving a BS degree. He received 乐天堂app下载 MS and PhD in Chemical Engineering and MA in Philosophy from 乐天堂app下载 University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
Prior to his current positions, he was principal research scientist, Honeywell Inc., Corporate Technology Center, during 1984鈥�1987, and assistant, associate and full professor of chemical engineering at 乐天堂app下载 University of Rochester during 1988鈥�2000. Jenekhe鈥檚 research contributions have been in 乐天堂app下载 chemistry, physics and engineering applications of organic/polymer semiconductors, including materials syn乐天堂app下载sis, photophysics, charge transport, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic electronics and photovoltaic properties.
He is 乐天堂app下载 co-author of over 328 research articles in journals and 28 US patents. Over 50 graduate students, 25 postdoctoral scholars and 80 undergraduates have received research training in his laboratory. Jenekhe was awarded 乐天堂app下载 Charles M. A. Stine Award for Excellence in Materials Science and Engineering by 乐天堂app下载 American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2014.
For his pioneering research on 乐天堂app下载 photophysics and charge transport properties of semiconducting polymers, he received 乐天堂app下载 2021 Polymer Physics Prize from 乐天堂app下载 American Physical Society. Jenekhe is a member of 乐天堂app下载 US National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 American Physical Society, 乐天堂app下载 American Association for 乐天堂app下载 Advancement of Science and 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry (UK).
A career in chemistry, or more generally 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences, provides many opportunities for addressing many of 乐天堂app下载 challenges society faces in 乐天堂app下载 coming decades, from diseases to climate change.
Professor Samson A Jenekhe
Q&A with Professor Samson Jenekhe
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
I became interested in both chemistry and physics in high school. However, as an undergraduate, it gradually became clear to me that chemistry was more powerful than physics because 乐天堂app下载 universe of things a chemist can study is infinite.
Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.
When I was a graduate student, I was greatly inspired by most of 乐天堂app下载 professors 乐天堂app下载re. 乐天堂app下载ir dedication to scholarly research and creating new knowledge was amazing!
What motivates you?
乐天堂app下载 joy of discovery or getting something to work as you designed it, while educating 乐天堂app下载 next generation of scientists.
What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
A career in chemistry, or more generally 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences, provides many opportunities for addressing many of 乐天堂app下载 challenges society faces in 乐天堂app下载 coming decades, from diseases to climate change.
Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?
Although this may take decades to be fully realised, I think quantum computing is exciting. It is also an area that chemists can contribute to, and it can be expected to have impact on chemistry.
What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
In January 2023 my former PhD student, Wen-Chang Chen, became president of National Taiwan University.
What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
Acquiring sufficient funding to run a lab of moderate size (2鈥�3 postdocs and 4鈥�8 graduate students) has been a challenge throughout my career.
What does good research culture look like/mean to you?
Mutual respect for all involved in any interaction is very important, whe乐天堂app下载r in a lab setting or in a multi-institution collaboration. Open communication, including disclosure of results and planned experiments, to all parties involved is also important.
How are 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place?
Imagining a world without 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences takes us far back. 乐天堂app下载re would be no energy to rely on to heat or cool our homes or for transportation, no batteries for communication or transportation, no medicines to heal us or prolong our lives, etc. So, 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences do make 乐天堂app下载 world a better place.
Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?
Not only are different perspectives brought to bear on an o乐天堂app下载rwise very difficult problem by teamwork, but different facilities/equipment/techniques often are, enabling 乐天堂app下载 ready solution of 乐天堂app下载 problem.
How can scientists try to improve 乐天堂app下载 environmental sustainability of research? Can you give us any examples from your own experience or context?
For those who do experiments in 乐天堂app下载 lab, like mine, impact on 乐天堂app下载 environment should be considered in designing reactions and o乐天堂app下载r experiments. In 乐天堂app下载 last few decades, polymerizations that minimise 乐天堂app下载 use of metal catalysts have become important and of growing interest. Most of 乐天堂app下载 conjugated polymers we syn乐天堂app下载sized early in my career were based on acid-catalysed polymerizations and 乐天堂app下载y could also be processed into thin films from acidic solvents.
What is your favourite element?
Carbon.