Prof. Kevin Sivula

EDUCATION

• May 2007: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering (University of California, Berkeley)
  with High Honors. Dissertation title: Controlling the morphology of solution-processed bulk
  heterojunction photovoltaics. Directed by Prof. Jean M.J. Fréchet.
  
• June 2002: B.Ch.E. (Bachelor’s of Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities)
  with High Distinction and emphasis in polymer science. Minor degrees in mathematics
  and chemistry.
  

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 2018 – École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering
  Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering with Tenure
  Director of the Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Optoelectronic Nanomaterials (LIMNO)
  Teaching: Transport Phenomena (I and II), Chemical engineering laboratory practical (I and II),
  Solar photovoltaics and energy systems, Chemical Product Design.
  
• 2011 –2018: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering
  École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
  Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces (head : Prof. Michael Grätzel)
  
• 2008 – 2011: Research Group Leader
  
• 2007 – 2008: Post-Doctoral Research Scientist
  University of California, Berkeley, Prof. Jean M.J. Fréchet Laboratories
  
• 2002 – 2007: Graduate Research Assistant
  University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Prof. Timothy Walseth Laboratories
  
• 1998 – 2002Undergraduate Research Assistant
  

AWARDS AND HONORS

• April 2017: Swiss Chemical Society Werner Prize
  
• December 2016: Air Liquide Essential Small Molecules Award
  
• October 2016: Teaching Excellence Prize in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (EPFL)
  
• August 2013: European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant Award
  
• October 2011: Prix Zeno Karl Schindler
  
• April 2010: “Advances in Advance” Article Award
  
• April 2007: Materials Research Society Graduate Student Gold Award
  
• 1998 – 2002: Presidential Scholarship Award
  
• 1998 – 2002: Institute of Technology Dean's List (8 terms)
  
• 1998 – 2000: Honors Program Member, Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota
  
  

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES SUMMARY

• Co-author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications, which have garnered more than 17000 literature citations and an h-index
  of 57 (Google Scholar 01/2021). See full publication list: http://go.epfl.ch/ayx
  
• Concurrent or completed supervisions of 15 PhD theses, and 9 Masters theses in the LIMNO lab.
  
• Co-organization of international conference symposium for MRS, nanoGE, Swiss chemical society, and IES.
  

The development of robust and inexpensive light harvesting material systems that operate at high efficiency are needed to make the direct solar-to-fuel energy conversion by photoelectrochemical (PEC) or heterogeneous photocatalytic (PC) approaches economically viable. In this presentation the technology of direct solar-tofuel energy conversion is introduced and our laboratory’s progress in the development new light absorbing materials and co-catalysts will be discussed along with the application toward overall solar water splitting systems. Specifically, the
application of pi-conjugated organic semiconductors, which is an emerging trend,[1] will be discussed in the context of their stability[2] and coordination to the metal-based electrocatalysts required to turn over the kinetically challenging oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions. An outlook on employing organic based semiconductor systems
in comparison to their inorganic counterparts will be presented with respect to the possible economic viability of this technology.
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References:
[1] L. Yao, A. Rahmanudin, N. Guijarro, K. Sivula, Adv. Energy Mater. 2018, 8, 1802585.
[2]L. Yao, N. Guijarro, F. Boudoire, Y. Liu, A. Rahmanudin, R. A. Wells, A. Sekar, H.-H. Cho, J.-H.
Yum, F. Le Formal, K. Sivula, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2020, 142, 7795.