Dr. Zhong Lin Wang is a world-renowned leader in materials science and nanotechnology with transformative contributions to energy harvesting and conversion technologies. He was the Hightower Chair in Materials Science and Engineering and Regents' Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology; as of 2024, he holds the title Regents' Professor Emeritus. and as the Founding Director and Chief Scientist of Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences. After earning his B.S. in Applied Physics from Xidian University in China in 1982, he completed his Ph.D. in Physics from Arizona State University in 1987 through the CUSPEA program organized by Tsung-Dao Lee. His distinguished career includes positions at Stony Brook University, Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and National Institute of Standards and Technology before joining Georgia Tech in 1995, where he served as Director of the Center for Nanostructure Characterization from 2000 to 2015.
Dr. Wang is widely regarded as the world leader in ZnO nanostructure research and has made pioneering contributions to nanoscience and nanotechnology, most notably being the first person to demonstrate that nanogenerators can be generated from Maxwell's displacement current. His groundbreaking work revived the application of Maxwell's equations in energy and sensor technologies, establishing an entirely new field of research with transformative potential for powering the Internet of Things and harvesting large-scale blue energy. With an h-index of 162, he ranks among the top 5 most-cited authors in nanotechnology globally, having authored over 1200 peer-reviewed journal articles, 6 scientific reference books, and edited 14 volumes on nanotechnology while holding more than 100 patents. His triboelectric nanogenerator technology has been widely recognized for its potential to harvest wasted mechanical energy from the environment and human motion for practical applications.
His exceptional contributions have been acknowledged with numerous prestigious awards including the 2017 Researcher of the Year by IAAM, the 2018 ENI Award for Nanogenerator as Mobile Power Source, the 2014 James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials, and the 2011 MRS Medal. As a thought leader in the field, Dr. Wang has delivered over 900 keynote, plenary, and invited talks at international conferences worldwide, significantly shaping the global research agenda in nanotechnology and energy harvesting. His election as a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009 and fellowships in multiple prestigious scientific societies including the American Physical Society and AAAS underscore his profound influence across disciplinary boundaries. Currently focusing on advancing triboelectric nanogenerator technology for practical applications in IoT and sustainable energy systems, his research continues to push the frontiers of materials science and nanotechnology with potential to transform energy harvesting solutions globally.
