Meeting/Event Information
2025 Basolo Medal program
November 07, 2025
4:30 PM - 8:30 PM
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Technological Institute, Northwestern University
2145 Sheridan Rd.
Evanston, IL 60208
http://www.chemistry.northwestern.edu/
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NOVEMBER 2025 bASOLO MEDAL PROGRAM
richard b. kaner
Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
Distinguished Professor of Materials Science & Engineering
Dr. Myung Ki Hong Endowed Chair in Materials Innovation
University of California, Los Angeles
"Energy Storage and Other Applications of Graphene"
ABSTRACT
Graphene, a two-dimensional material consisting of a single layer of sp² hybridized carbon atoms, has emerged as a transformative material for energy storage applications. This presentation will discuss a facile, scalable, and cost-effective solid-state method for generating, patterning, and electronically tuning laser-converted graphene.
Our approach begins with the conversion of graphite to graphene oxide (GO) sheets, which readily disperse in aqueous solutions and can be reduced through various chemical and physical methods. The key innovation lies in GO's unique processability: it can be directly laser-reduced to graphene on diverse substrates without requiring masks, templates, post-processing steps, or transfer techniques.
This direct patterning capability enables the fabrication of complex device architectures with precise control over graphene properties. The versatility of this laser-scribing technique has enabled the development of high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices that bridge the performance gap between batteries and supercapacitors. These devices combine the high energy density characteristic of batteries with the rapid charge-discharge capabilities and power density of supercapacitors.
Applications range from flexible micro-supercapacitors for wearable electronics to large-scale energy storage systems for grid applications. Beyond energy storage, this scalable graphene patterning method opens new possibilities for sensors, transparent conductors, and other electronic applications where precise control over graphene morphology and properties is essential. The technique's compatibility with various substrates and its potential for high-throughput manufacturing make it particularly attractive for commercial applications.
PROGRAM
• 4:30 PM – Lecture
Venue: Technological Institute, Room LR3
2145 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, IL
Free admission
(Parking is free in the lot across Sheridan after 4:00 PM)
• 6:30 PM – Dinner
Venue: Hilton Orrington Evanston
1710 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
A fee applies for dinner
- Pan Seared Chicken Breast, smoked squash puree, compressed and shaved asparagus, truffle vinaigrette (Chicken)
- Beetroot Poached Salmon, white bean puree, crispy kale, orange oil (Fish)
- Cauliflower Risotto, cauliflower rice, spicy corn puree, cilantro salad (Vegetarian)
QUESTIONS?
QUESTIONS? Please contact the Section Office via phone (847-391-9091) or email ([email protected]).
BIOGRAPHY
Richard Kaner received a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1984, working with Prof. Alan MacDiarmid (Nobel Laureate 2000, deceased). After postdoctoral research at Berkeley, he joined the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1987, earned tenure in 1991, became a full professor in 1993, a Distinguished Professor in 2012, and was appointed to the Dr. Myung Ki Hong Endowed Chair in Materials Innovation in 2017. He has published over 500 papers in top peer-reviewed journals and holds 94 U.S. patents. According to recent Clarivate Analytics/Thomson-Reuters rankings, he is among the world’s most highly cited authors. Professor Kaner has received awards from the Dreyfus, Fulbright, Guggenheim, Packard and Sloan Foundations, along with the Materials Research Society Medal, the Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize, the Qian Baojun International Fiber Award, the Chemical Pioneer Award from the American Institute of Chemistry and the American Chemical Society’s Buck-Whitney Research Award, Tolman Medal, Award in the Chemistry of Materials, and the Award in Applied Polymer Science for his work on refractory materials, including new synthetic routes to ceramics, intercalation compounds, superhard metals, graphene and conducting polymers. He has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Chemical Society (ACS), the American Physical Society (APS), the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc), the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (Euro-Acad), the Materials Research Society (MRS), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). He has founded four successful companies: Nanotech Energy which produces nonflammable lithium-ion batteries using graphene; SILQ Technologies whose surface treatments of medical devices prevent hospital acquired infections; SuperMetalix which produces the world’s hardest metals for cutting and polishing; and Polycera, Inc. (acquired by PSP.US) which makes membranes that separate oil from water and are used to clean up the mess created by oil fracking.
Tickets
$65.00 REGISTRATION: Chicago ACS member
$65.00 REGISTRATION: Guest and Non-Chicago ACS member
$0.00 Member lecture only
$0.00 Non-Member lecture only
