Thomas E. Mallouk stands as a preeminent figure in materials chemistry whose innovative research has significantly advanced energy conversion technologies. He currently holds the distinguished Vagelos Professorship in Energy Research within the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania, where he leads a dynamic research program at the intersection of chemistry and energy science. Mallouk's career trajectory includes his tenure as Evan Pugh University Professor at Pennsylvania State University with joint appointments across multiple departments and his role as Head of the Department of Chemistry from 2016 to 2018. His academic foundation was established through undergraduate studies at Brown University, doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley under Neil Bartlett, and postdoctoral work at MIT with Mark Wrighton before launching his independent career at the University of Texas at Austin in 1985.
Mallouk's pioneering research focuses on the synthesis of inorganic materials and their application to solar and electrochemical energy conversion, nano- and micro-robotics, and environmental remediation challenges. His laboratory has made seminal contributions to understanding surface chemistry and electrocatalysis, developing novel approaches to low-dimensional physical phenomena in materials systems. The Mallouk group has been instrumental in discovering better electrocatalysts and new inorganic ion conductors through exploratory synthesis and high-throughput screening methods that have advanced energy storage and conversion technologies. His leadership extends to major collaborative initiatives including the CHASE solar fuels hub project, the CABES energy frontier research center on alkaline electrochemistry, and CIMES, the Center for Ion Management in Electrochemical Systems.
As a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Mallouk has profoundly influenced the direction of materials chemistry research through his scientific vision and mentorship. He has received numerous prestigious honors including the ACS Award in the Chemistry of Materials and recognition as an ACS Fellow for his transformative contributions to the field. Mallouk's current research explores the emergent properties of materials with controlled porosity across multiple length scales, using porous colloidal crystals as templates to synthesize innovative metalattices of semiconductors and ferromagnets. His ongoing work continues to push the boundaries of energy research, developing integrated systems that combine molecular and solid-state components to address pressing global sustainability challenges through fundamental materials innovation.
