image unavailable Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Endowed Chair, Wright Center for Photovoltaics Innovation and Commercialization (PVIC)
The University of Toledo
Toledo, OH 43606

Senior Research Associate
Center for Materials and Computational Science
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Golden, CO 80401
Michael J. Heben B.S. Physics, John Carroll University, 1984
M.S. Materials Science & Engineering, Stanford University, 1986
Ph.D. Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, 1990

Research interests: Understanding synthesis and assembly of nanostructured materials for carbon-free energy technologies, including photovoltaics and hydrogen storage. Areas of expertise include application of scanning probe microscopies, synthetic methods for producing layered nanostructured materials, performing electrical transport measurements, and the study of molecular diffusion and adsorption in environments with reduced dimensionality.

 Areas of current interest include: (1) synthesis and purification of carbon nanotubes, (2) the application of single-wall carbon nanotubes for hydrogen storage and for sprayed nanotube films to serve as an ITO relacement, (3) application of nanotubes for lithium batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cell materials, and natural gas purification membranes, and (4) electronic and optical studies of hydrogenase single-walled carbon nanotube biohybrids.