Mercouri Kanatzidis

Mercouri Kanatzidis (Greek: Μερκούριος

Κανατζίδης; born 1957) is a Charles E. and Emma H. Mercouri Kanatzidis
Morrison Professor of chemistry and professor of
materials science and engineering at Northwestern
University[1] and Senior Scientist at Argonne National
Laboratory.[2]

Kanatzidis was listed as one of the most cited

researchers in Materials Science and Engineering in
2016 based on Elsevier Scopus data.[3] He has
published over 1,655 manuscripts (ISI h-index =181
Google h-index =200][4]) and has over 60 patents.
Kanatzidis has mentored over 90 Ph.D. students and
Born Mercouri Gregorio
nearly 130 postdoctoral fellows. More than 90 of these
Kanatzidis
alumni hold academic positions worldwide.
Thessaloniki, Greece
Nationality American
Early life and education Alma mater Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki B.Sc. (1979)
Kanatzidis was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. He University of Iowa Ph.D.
received his B.S. degree from Aristotle University in (1984)
1979 and his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in Awards Samson Prime Minister's
1984[1] (with Dimitri Coucouvanis). He spent two Prize for Innovation in
years at the University of Iowa from 1980 to 1982 and Alternative Fuels for
then moved to the University of Michigan when Transportation, 2016; ACS
Coucouvanis moved there in 1982. Award in Inorganic
Chemistry, 2016; ENI Award
He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University
for the "Renewable Energy
of Michigan (1985) and Northwestern University
Prize" category, 2015.
(1986–1987) where he worked with Professor Tobin J.
Marks on conductive polymers and intercalation Scientific career
compounds. Fields Chemistry, materials
science, and
He became assistant professor at Michigan State nanotechnology
University in 1987. He was promoted to full Professor Institutions Northwestern University
in 1994. He moved to Northwestern University in
(2006-present)
2006.[5]
Argonne National Laboratory
Michigan State University
Research (1987-2006)
Northwestern University
(1986-1987)
Kanatzidis developed synthesis methodologies to University of Michigan
synthesizing new chalcogenide materials and (1985)
intermetallics. One of his notable contributions is the Thesis Synthesis and
panoramic synthesis[6][7] method, which enables the Characterization of Mixed-
design and discovery of novel materials. He is also Ligand Complexes
credited with developing flux synthesis techniques that Containing the Iron4Sulfur4
allow for reactions to occur at lower temperatures than Core. Synthesis and
conventional methods, leading to the formation of Characterization of New
unique structures and compositions. Novel Complexes
Containing the Iron4Sulfur6
In addition to these contributions, Kanatzidis's research
Core (https://www.proquest.
has resulted in the discovery of metal sulfide ion-
com/pqdtglobal/docview/303
exchangers, which have practical applications in the
299231/AF0C65928BCE429
remediation of heavy metals in industrial waste water.
9PQ/) (1984)
These findings demonstrate his ability to not only
generate new materials but also to identify and apply Doctoral Dimitri Coucouvanis
them in real-world settings. advisor
Other academic Tobin J. Marks
Kanatzidis is also credited with defining the concept of advisors
nanostructuring in the thermoelectric field. By
developing new approaches to controlling the structure and composition of thermoelectric materials at the
nanoscale, he has contributed to the advancement of this field and the creation of high-performance
materials with unique properties. These methods for achieving "nanostructuring" and all-scale
architecturing of thermoelectric semiconductors, resulted in the creation of high-performance materials
with unprecedented ZT figures of merit [8][9](ZT~2.5).[10] These materials feature coherently embedded
nanodots, such as those found in PbTe (a phenomenon known as endotaxy), which significantly reduce
thermal conductivity by over 70%, while maintaining high electrical conductivity. This unique
combination of properties allows for the attainment of very high ZT values exceeding 2.5[11] in
nanostructured thermoelectric materials.

Kanatzidis, along with fellow researcher Professor Robert P.H. Chang at Northwestern, developed a
Novel solar cell technology that utilizes tin instead of lead perovskite.[12][13] In their groundbreaking
study, they published the first solid-state solar cell device incorporating a film of CsSnI3 perovskitein a
solid-state dye-sensitized Gratzel cell, which achieved an efficiency of approximately 10%. Kanatzidis
was also the first to demonstrate the functionality of CH3NH3SnI3-based solar cells, and he discovered
the anomalous bandgap dependence between lead and tin-based solid solutions APb1-xSnxI3 (A=Cs,
CH3NH3, formamidinium). This discovery revealed that bandgaps as low as 1.1 eV are achievable,
which is useful in the development of tandem solar cells.[14]

In 2016, Kanatzidis and Mohite demonstrated that 2D iodide perovskites form films with vertical slab
orientation, and showed >12% efficiency in a solar cell with far better stability than corresponding 3D
MAPbI3-based solar cells.[15] . Since then, 2D iodide perovskites have become widely used in mixtures
of 2D/3D perovskites for solar cells, exhibiting both high stability and efficiency.

In 2013 he reported the x-ray detecting properties of the perovskite CsPbBr3 semiconductor[16] with
potential applications in gamma-ray spectroscopy having better than 1.4% energy resolution.[17][18]
Kanatzidis has proposed ideas and concepts for predictive synthesis to new materials including "infinitely
adaptive" homologous superseries and the panoramic synthesis strategy where with a single experiment
all phases in the course of a given reaction can be detected. This offers a panoramic view of all the phases
present, and could help unravel the mechanisms of how new materials form.[19]

Kanatzidis is credited with inventing a new category of materials known as chalcogels. These unique
inorganic compounds exhibit aerogel properties. Chalcogels have a sponge-like structure that enables
them to effectively absorb heavy-metal atoms from polluted water. Due to their high surface area-to-
volume ratio, even small pieces of chalcogels can purify thousands of liters of water. Chalcogels have
demonstrated the ability to reduce mercury, lead, and cadmium concentrations to parts per trillion (ppt)
levels as well as radionuclides.[20] Biomimetic chalcogels containing bioinorganic Fe4S4 have been
reported to photochemically convert N2 to NH3.[21] The International Mineralogical Association named a
new mineral, Kanatzidisite, belonging to the sulfosalt class with a composition of [BiSbS3][Te2].[22]

Awards and honors

2024 - University of Cyprus Honorary Doctorate Degree[23]
2024 - Sigma Xi Walston Chubb Award for Innovation[24]
2024 - National Academy of Sciences
2023 - Royal Society of Chemistry Centenary Prize[25]
2023 - American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2022 - Global Energy Prize
2021 - Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2015 (in three different disciplines:
chemistry, physics, and materials science)
2019 - DOE Ten at Ten Scientific Ideas Award for the first demonstration of all-solid-state
solar cells using halide perovskite materials.
2018 - American Institute of Chemistry Chemical Pioneer Award
2017 - Hershel and Hilda Rich Visiting Professorship, Technion – Israel Institute of
Technology[26]
2017 - University of Crete - Honorary Doctorate Degree[27]
2016 - Samson Prime Minister's Prize for Innovation in Alternative Fuels for
Transportation[28]
2016 – American Physical Society (APS) Fellow[29]
2016 - APS James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials[30]
2016 – ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry
2015 - ENI Award for the "Renewable Energy Prize" category[31]
2015 - Awarded Wilhelm Manchot Professorship, Technical University of Munich[32]
2015 - Elected Fellow of the Royal Chemical Society
2015 - Royal Chemical Society De Gennes Prize[33]
2014 – Materials Research Society (MRS) Medal[34]
2014 - International Thermoelectric Society Outstanding Achievement Award[35]
2014 - Einstein Professor, Chinese Academy of Sciences[36]
2013 - Cheetham Lecturer Award, University of California Santa Barbara[37]
2012 - American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow[36]
 2010 - MRS Fellow[36]
2006 - Charles E. and Emma H. Morrison Professor, Northwestern University[1]
2003 - Morley Medal, American Chemical Society, Cleveland Section[38]
2003 - Alexander von Humboldt Prize[1]
2002 - John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellow[1]
2001 - University Distinguished Professor MSU[1]
2000 - Sigma Xi Senior Meritorious Faculty Award[1]
1998 - Michigan State University Distinguished Faculty Award[1]
1993-1998 - Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher Scholar[1]
1991-1993 - Alfred P. Sloan Fellow (see Sloan Fellows)[1]
1992-1994 - Beckman Young Investigator[1]
1990 - ACS Inorganic Chemistry Division Award, EXXON Faculty Fellowship in Solid State
Chemistry[1]
1989-1994 - Presidential Young Investigator Award, National Science Foundation[1]

References
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17. He, Yihue (23 April 2018). "High Spectral resolution of gamma-rays at room temperature by
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on Phase Homologies. The Concept of Structural Evolution and the New Megaseries
Am[M1+lSe2+l]22m[M2l+nSe2+3l+n]". Acc. Chem. Res. 36 (2): 111–119.
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Matthew J.; Li, Xiaohong; Polychronopoulou, Kyriaki; Kanatzidis, Mercouri G. (2013).
"Chalcogen-Based Aerogels As Sorbents for Radionuclide Remediation". Environ. Sci.
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ng-achievement)". International Themoelectric Society. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
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American Chemical Society – Cleveland Section. Retrieved 13 December 2016.

External links
Northwestern University Chemistry Department (http://www.chemistry.northwestern.edu/peo
ple/core-faculty/profiles/mercouri-kanatzidis.html)
Kanatzidis Research Group (http://chemgroups.northwestern.edu/kanatzidis/)
Argonne National Laboratory Material Sciences Division (https://web.archive.org/web/20170
427022239/http://www.msd.anl.gov/kanatzidis)

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