John M. Prausnitz AIChE Institute Lecture

The Executive Board of the Program Committee invites a distinguished member of AIChE to present a comprehensive authoritative review of the chemical engineering science in his or her field of specialization. Selection criteria include:

1. the quality and relevance of the accomplishments of the lecturer in the technical field likely to be the subject of the lecture
2. the communication skills of the lecturer
3. the value of the lecture to the meeting attendees and the members of the Institute

To honor Dr. John M. Prausnitz of the University of California, Berkeley's exceptional impact on the profession, society, and generations of chemical engineering students, AIChE’s Board of Directors has agreed to rename the Institute Lecture to the John M. Prausnitz AIChE Institute Lecture. The AIChE Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generosity of John’s closest peers who have made lead gifts to establish an endowment to support the Lecture and ensure John’s name will be recognized in perpetuity.

This is the 74^th AIChE Institute Lecture.

Supported by the AIChE Foundation.

This year's John M. Prausnitz AIChE Institute Lecturer is Elsa Reichmanis, Professor and Carl Robert Anderson Chair in Chemical Engineering in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering of Lehigh University.

From Silicon to Plastic: it’s all about surfaces, interfaces and processing

Elsa Reichmanis, Professor and Carl Robert Anderson Chair in Chemical Engineering, Lehigh University

Nanostructured materials play important roles in a wide range of advanced technology applications, stimulating interest in the ‘Internet of Things’.  In response to that interest, printed, flexible and even stretchable electronics have emerged as low-cost alternatives for devices in applications ranging from energy to health care to security.  However, their successful commercialization relies on the design and development of sustainable, robust and reliable materials chemistries and processes.  While molecular design plays a significant role in determining materials electronic performance, molecular structure is not the only consideration. Device performance also depends critically on surfaces, interfaces and active material assembly/alignment at many length scales. This presentation will explore how surface chemistry considerations, coupled with interfaces and physical interactions can impact the design and development of advanced new materials technologies for applications ranging from devices to energy storage and conversion.