Dr. Mauricio Terrones is a distinguished scholar and leader in nanomaterials research, currently serving as Evan Pugh University Professor and the George A. and Margaret M. Downsbrough Department Head of Physics at Penn State University. He holds joint appointments as Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science & Engineering, reflecting his interdisciplinary expertise. Dr. Terrones earned his B.Sc. in Engineering Physics with first-class honors from Universidad Iberoamericana, where he was recognized as Mexico's Best Student in Engineering Physics in 1992. He completed his doctoral studies under Nobel Laureate Sir Harold W. Kroto at the University of Sussex, receiving his D.Phil. in Chemical Physics in 1998, which established the foundation for his pioneering work in nanoscale materials.
Dr. Terrones has co-authored over 400 publications in prestigious international journals with more than 28,000 citations and an H-index of 83, demonstrating significant impact across multiple scientific disciplines. His research focuses on the challenging synthesis of novel one- and two-dimensional nanoscale materials with unprecedented physico-chemical properties, including transition metal dichalcogenides such as WS2, MoS2, and NbS2. He has pioneered advanced characterization techniques including aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy to understand these materials' electronic, chemical, optical, and magnetic properties. His work has enabled breakthrough applications in molecular sensors, photodetectors, multifunctional coatings, virus detection systems, and next-generation battery technologies.
As the Founder Director of both the Center for 2-Dimensional and Layered Materials and the NSF-IUCRC Center for Atomically Thin Multifunctional Coatings (ATOMIC) at Penn State, Dr. Terrones has established himself as a central figure in the global materials science community. He serves as Associate Editor for several leading journals including Carbon, 2D Materials, Journal of Materials Research, and Nature Scientific Reports, shaping the direction of research in his field. His contributions have been recognized through numerous prestigious honors including election as Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, along with the Somiya Award for International Collaboration. Dr. Terrones continues to advance the frontiers of nanomaterials science through his innovative research program and international collaborations while mentoring the next generation of materials scientists.
