Nathan Lewis
Encyclopedia
Nathan S. Lewis is the George L. Argyros
Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology
. He specializes in functionalization of silicon
and other semiconductor
surfaces, as well as chemical sensing using chemiresistive sensor arrays. He obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees also at Caltech under Harry B. Gray
in 1977 studying the redox
reactions of inorganic rhodium
complexes. After that, he moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
for his Ph.D. in 1981 under Mark S. Wrighton
studying semiconductor electrochemistry
.
Lewis also researched cold fusion
in the 1980s. When Stanley Pons
and Martin Fleischmann
announced their discovery of controlled cold fusion at a press conference, Lewis was unable to reproduce the results.
Currently, Dr. Lewis is researching solar energy, and in July, 2010 was named as director of a U.S. Department of Energy Energy Innovation Hub to develop revolutionary methods to generate fuels directly from sunlight . He was named the 17th greatest effector of change by Rolling Stone
magazine, and has been appointed chair of the Editorial Board for Energy and Environmental Science
.
George Argyros
George Leon Argyros is the former United States Ambassador to Spain. He is also a successful real estate investor, and was the owner of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners from 1981 to 1989.-Early and personal life:...
Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
. He specializes in functionalization of silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
and other semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
surfaces, as well as chemical sensing using chemiresistive sensor arrays. He obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees also at Caltech under Harry B. Gray
Harry B. Gray
Harry Barkus Gray is the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry at California Institute of Technology. He won the Priestley Medal in 1991, Harvey Prize in 2000, The Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry in 2004, and the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 2004.-Career:Gray received his B.S...
in 1977 studying the redox
Redox
Redox reactions describe all chemical reactions in which atoms have their oxidation state changed....
reactions of inorganic rhodium
Rhodium
Rhodium is a chemical element that is a rare, silvery-white, hard and chemically inert transition metal and a member of the platinum group. It has the chemical symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is composed of only one isotope, 103Rh. Naturally occurring rhodium is found as the free metal, alloyed...
complexes. After that, he moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
for his Ph.D. in 1981 under Mark S. Wrighton
Mark S. Wrighton
Mark Stephen Wrighton is an American academic, a chemist, and the current Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Wrighton received his B.S. in Chemistry from Florida State University in 1969. While at Florida State, he won the Monsanto Chemistry Award for...
studying semiconductor electrochemistry
Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor and an ionic conductor , and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.If a chemical reaction is...
.
Lewis also researched cold fusion
Cold fusion
Cold fusion, also called low-energy nuclear reaction , refers to the hypothesis that nuclear fusion might explain the results of a group of experiments conducted at ordinary temperatures . Both the experimental results and the hypothesis are disputed...
in the 1980s. When Stanley Pons
Stanley Pons
Bobby Stanley Pons is an American-French electrochemist known for his work with Martin Fleischmann on cold fusion in the 1980s and '90s.-Early life:...
and Martin Fleischmann
Martin Fleischmann
Martin Fleischmann is a British chemist noted for his work in electrochemistry. He came to wider public prominence following his controversial publication of work with colleague Stanley Pons on cold fusion using palladium in the 1980s and '90s.-Early life:Born in Karlovy Vary, Czechoslovakia,...
announced their discovery of controlled cold fusion at a press conference, Lewis was unable to reproduce the results.
Currently, Dr. Lewis is researching solar energy, and in July, 2010 was named as director of a U.S. Department of Energy Energy Innovation Hub to develop revolutionary methods to generate fuels directly from sunlight . He was named the 17th greatest effector of change by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine, and has been appointed chair of the Editorial Board for Energy and Environmental Science
Energy and Environmental Science
Energy & Environmental Science is a peer-reviewed scientific journal publishing original research and review articles, the journal publishes work of an interdisciplinary nature in the chemical and physical sciences and chemical engineering disciplines.Energy & Environmental Science is published...
.