Pierre M. Beaujuge

Biography

Professor Beaujuge's research interests are interdisciplinary and span the synthesis, characterization, and practical applications of functional organic materials and organic-inorganic hybrids with unique structure-property relationships. New materials are designed to: Tackle specific performance limitations. Create sustainable alternatives to existing solutions. Introduce original properties and novel applications. Their intrinsic properties are then systematically elucidated in a feedback loop of in-lab device testing or process assessment, and advanced analytical characterizations. Bridging Chemistry and Materials Science, Beaujuge's research benefits from a strong network of collaborative interactions within KAUST and with other academic institutions worldwide (UC Berkeley, Stanford, Georgia Tech, MPIP Mainz). Energy Management A large component of research in the Beaujuge group is directed towards the development and integration of polymeric materials and self-assembling systems that can address important challenges in the broad area of Energy, most notably, harvesting, conversion, transport, storage, and delivery. At present, specific effort is invested in the development of new design principles for the synthesis of organic electronics with application in circuit logics, as conducting electrodes, in light-emitting displays, and solar power-conversion technologies. Organic electronics introduce a number of major perspectives in Materials Science, including the large-scale production of low-cost and mechanically deformable materials that can either be roll-to-roll processed over extended areas, or finely printed as pixel matrices to serve in portable device applications. Surface and Interface Engineering In many instances, processes fail due to a lack of compatibility or communication between materials with distinct chemical compositions or physical properties. In living organisms, immune responses are readily triggered and the clinical success of a medical implant is critically dependent on the biocompatibility of the materials employed in its fabrication. In artificial photosynthetic systems for which charge-transfer reactions occur at a photocatalytic surface, fundamental understanding and careful control over surface functionalities are expected to promote charge-separation efficiency. Building from these considerations, another component of research in the Beaujuge group targets the development of integrative synthetic materials applicable to systems hindered by interfacial incompatibility and energetic mismatches.

Research Interest

chemical science