personnel profile

Research Statement

His research activities have included studies of imperfections in crystals, solid-state reaction kinetics, ferromagnetism, mechanical behavior of solids, crystal growth, and a wide variety of topics in physical metallurgy, ceramics, solid state chemistry and electrochemistry. Primary attention has recently been focused on the development of understanding of solid state ionic phenomena involving solid electrolytes and mixed ionic-electronic conducting materials containing atomic or ionic species such as lithium, sodium or oxygen with unusually high mobility, as well as their use in novel battery and fuel cell systems, electrochromic optical devices, sensors, and in enhanced heterogeneous catalysis. He was also involved in the development of the understanding of the key role played by the phase composition and oxygen stoichiometry in determining the properties of high temperature oxide superconductors.

Topics of particular recent interest have been related to energy conversion and storage, including hydrogen transport and hydride formation in metals, alloys and intermetallic compounds, and various aspects of materials and phenomena related to advanced lithium batteries.

Academic Honors & Awards

Hardy Gold Medal of the AIME, 1957
National Science Foundation Senior Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1965-66
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Senior United States Scientist Award, 1977
23rd Annual Vincent Bendix Award by the American Society for Engineering Education, 1978
Research Award of the Electrochemical Society's Battery Division, 1982
Research award of the International Battery Association, 2001
Honorary Professor of the University of Ulm, 1994
Honorary Professor of the University of Kiel, 2000