Kevin Sivula

Sivula studied at the University of Minnesota and obtained a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 2002. He completed a doctorate with a thesis on "Controlling the morphology of solution-processed bulk heterojunction photovoltaics" in 2007 at the University of California, Berkeley under the direction of Jean Fréchet.{{cite thesis |id={{ProQuest|304901162}} |last1=Sivula |first1=Kevin Andrew |date=2007 |title=Controlling the morphology of solution-processed bulk heterojunction photovoltaics }}{{psc|date=June 2023}}{{pn|date=June 2023}}{{Cite journal|last1=Sivula|first1=K.|last2=Ball|first2=Z. T.|last3=Watanabe|first3=N.|last4=Fréchet|first4=J. M. J.|date=2006-01-19|title=Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymer Compatibilizers and Their Effect on the Morphology and Performance of Polythiophene:Fullerene Solar |journal=Advanced Materials|language=en|volume=18|issue=2|pages=206–210|doi=10.1002/adma.200501787|s2cid=93864898 }}{{psc|date=June 2023}}{{Cite journal|last1=Sivula|first1=Kevin|last2=Luscombe|first2=Christine K.|last3=Thompson|first3=Barry C.|last4=Fréchet|first4=Jean M. J.|date=November 2006|title=Enhancing the Thermal Stability of Polythiophene:Fullerene Solar Cells by Decreasing Effective Polymer Regioregularity |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society|language=en|volume=128|issue=43|pages=13988–13989|doi=10.1021/ja064434r|pmid=17061856 }}{{psc|date=June 2023}}

He then joined Michael Grätzel’s group at EPFL as a postdoctoral researcher and investigated photo-electrochemical processes of water splitting.{{Cite journal|last1=Sivula|first1=Kevin|last2=Zboril|first2=Radek|last3=Le Formal|first3=Florian|last4=Robert|first4=Rosa|last5=Weidenkaff|first5=Anke|last6=Tucek|first6=Jiri|last7=Frydrych|first7=Jiri|last8=Grätzel|first8=Michael|date=2010-06-02|title=Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting with Mesoporous Hematite Prepared by a Solution-Based Colloidal Approach |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society|language=en|volume=132|issue=21|pages=7436–7444|doi=10.1021/ja101564f|pmid=20443599 }}{{psc|date=June 2023}}{{Cite journal|last1=Brillet|first1=Jeremie|last2=Yum|first2=Jun-Ho|last3=Cornuz|first3=Maurin|last4=Hisatomi|first4=Takashi|last5=Solarska|first5=Renata|last6=Augustynski|first6=Jan|last7=Graetzel|first7=Michael|last8=Sivula|first8=Kevin|date=2012-11-11|title=Highly efficient water splitting by a dual-absorber tandem cell |journal=Nature Photonics |volume=6|issue=12|pages=824–828|doi=10.1038/nphoton.2012.265|bibcode=2012NaPho...6..824B|s2cid=122196272 }}{{psc|date=June 2023}}{{Cite journal|last1=Sivula|first1=Kevin|last2=Formal|first2=Florian Le|last3=Grätzel|first3=Michael|date=2009-07-14|title=WO 3 −Fe 2 O 3 Photoanodes for Water Splitting: A Host Scaffold, Guest Absorber Approach |journal=Chemistry of Materials |volume=21|issue=13|pages=2862–2867|doi=10.1021/cm900565a }}{{psc|date=June 2023}}

In 2011, he became tenure track assistant professor and began an independent research program at EPFL's Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering.{{Cite web|title=18 new professors at the ETH Zurich and the EPFL {{!}} ETH-Board|url=https://www.ethrat.ch/en/section-medien-medienmitteilungen/18-neue-professorinnen-und-professoren-den-beiden-eth|access-date=2021-04-09|website=www.ethrat.ch}} In 2018, he was promoted to associate professor of chemical engineering, and in 2024 he was promoted to full professor. He directs the Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Optoelectronic Nanomaterials and teaches courses in transport phenomena, chemical product design, and solar energy conversion.{{Cite web|title=Teaching|url=https://www.epfl.ch/labs/limno/teaching/|access-date=2021-04-09|website=www.epfl.ch|language=en-GB}} He is currently serving as the Director of the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering at EPFL.

Sivula's research is dedicated to the understanding and engineering of charge transport and transfer in novel and inexpensive optoelectronic materials, in particular for solar energy conversion. The development of economical and robust semiconducting materials that can be processed by rapid roll-to-roll techniques into high-performance devices represents a significant challenge and is crucial to enabling low-cost global-scale solar energy conversion. Therefore, his research is directed towards understanding composition, crystallinity, self-assembly, and morphology in key systems in order to control the electronic band gap, light absorption, charge transfer, and carrier transport in thin film semiconductors to enable advance device performance. He contributed important research advances in three main areas: Semiconductors for solar-fuel production,{{Cite journal|last1=Bornoz|first1=Pauline|last2=Prévot|first2=Mathieu S.|last3=Yu|first3=Xiaoyun|last4=Guijarro|first4=Néstor|last5=Sivula|first5=Kevin|date=2015-12-16|title=Direct Light-Driven Water Oxidation by a Ladder-Type Conjugated Polymer Photoanode|url= |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |volume=137|issue=49|pages=15338–15341|doi=10.1021/jacs.5b05724 |pmc=4683565|pmid=26576469}}{{psc|date=June 2023}}{{Cite journal|last1=Guijarro|first1=Néstor|last2=Prévot|first2=Mathieu S.|last3=Yu|first3=Xiaoyun|last4=Jeanbourquin|first4=Xavier A.|last5=Bornoz|first5=Pauline|last6=Bourée|first6=Wiktor|last7=Johnson|first7=Melissa|last8=Le Formal|first8=Florian|last9=Sivula|first9=Kevin|date=2016-04-01|title=A Bottom-Up Approach toward All-Solution-Processed High-Efficiency Cu(In,Ga)S 2 Photocathodes for Solar Water Splitting |journal=Advanced Energy Materials |volume=6|issue=7|pages=1501949|doi=10.1002/aenm.201501949|s2cid=101267676 }}{{psc|date=June 2023}} understanding and controlling charge transport in thin film organic semiconductors,{{Cite journal|last1=Prévot|first1=Mathieu S.|last2=Guijarro|first2=Néstor|last3=Sivula|first3=Kevin|date=2015-04-24|title=Enhancing the Performance of a Robust Sol-Gel-Processed p-Type Delafossite CuFeO 2 Photocathode for Solar Water Reduction |journal=ChemSusChem |volume=8|issue=8|pages=1359–1367|doi=10.1002/cssc.201403146|pmid=25572288}}{{psc|date=June 2023}}{{Cite journal|last1=Zhu|first1=Xiaodi|last2=Guijarro|first2=Néstor|last3=Liu|first3=Yongpeng|last4=Schouwink|first4=Pascal|last5=Wells|first5=Rebekah A.|last6=Le Formal|first6=Florian|last7=Sun|first7=Song|last8=Gao|first8=Chen|last9=Sivula|first9=Kevin|date=2018-08-01|title=Spinel Structural Disorder Influences Solar-Water-Splitting Performance of ZnFe 2 O 4 Nanorod Photoanodes |journal=Advanced Materials |volume=30|issue=34|pages=1801612|doi=10.1002/adma.201801612|pmid=29975805|s2cid=49655585 |url=http://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/255900 }}{{psc|date=June 2023}} and solution processing and self-assembly of 2D-semiconductors.{{Cite journal|last1=Yu|first1=Xiaoyun|last2=Prévot|first2=Mathieu S.|last3=Guijarro|first3=Néstor|last4=Sivula|first4=Kevin|date=November 2015|title=Self-assembled 2D WSe2 thin films for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production |journal=Nature Communications |volume=6|issue=1|pages=7596|doi=10.1038/ncomms8596 |pmc=4506493|pmid=26126745|bibcode=2015NatCo...6.7596Y}}{{psc|date=June 2023}}{{Cite journal|last1=Yao|first1=Liang|last2=Guijarro|first2=Néstor|last3=Boudoire|first3=Florent|last4=Liu|first4=Yongpeng|last5=Rahmanudin|first5=Aiman|last6=Wells|first6=Rebekah A.|last7=Sekar|first7=Arvindh|last8=Cho|first8=Han-Hee|last9=Yum|first9=Jun-Ho|last10=Le Formal|first10=Florian|last11=Sivula|first11=Kevin|date=2020-04-29|title=Establishing Stability in Organic Semiconductor Photocathodes for Solar Hydrogen Production |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |volume=142|issue=17|pages=7795–7802|doi=10.1021/jacs.0c00126|pmid=32270679|s2cid=215605282 }}{{psc|date=June 2023}}

His research was featured on Photonics,{{Cite web|title=Supercheap Hydrogen Recipe: Sunlight + Water + Rust|url=https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Supercheap_Hydrogen_Recipe_Sunlight_Water_/a52310|access-date=2021-04-09|website=www.photonics.com}} Nano Werk,{{Cite web|title=Self-assembled 2D materials for cheaper solar energy storage|url=https://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=40638.php|access-date=2021-04-09|website=Nanowerk}} Swiss nation TV RTS,{{Cite web|date=2012-11-11|title=L'EPFL développe une solution "low cost" pour produire de l'hydrogène|url=https://www.rts.ch/info/sciences-tech/4422583-lepfl-developpe-une-solution-low-cost-pour-produire-de-lhydrogene.html|access-date=2021-04-09|website=rts.ch|language=fr}} Reuters,{{cite web |title=Renewable energy storage gets boost from Namibian meteorite |url=https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/renewable-energy-storage-gets-boost-from-id371278136 |work=Reuters }} Clean Technica,{{Cite web|last=Casey|first=Tina|date=2015-08-20|title=The Lowdown on Solar, Hydrogen and Power-to-Gas|url=https://cleantechnica.com/2015/08/20/lowdown-solar-hydrogen-power-gas-epfls-graetzle/|access-date=2021-04-09|website=CleanTechnica|language=en-US}} and Futura Sciences.{{Cite web|last=Futura|first=Delphine Bossy|title=Stockage de l'énergie solaire : de rouille et d'eau|url=https://www.futura-sciences.com/sciences/actualites/chimie-stockage-energie-solaire-rouille-eau-42618/|access-date=2021-04-09|website=Futura|language=fr}}

Sivula is the recipient of the 2017 Werner Prize by the Swiss Chemical Society Werner Prize,{{Cite web|title=Awards: Werner Prize|url=https://scg.ch/component/page/werner|access-date=2021-04-09|website=Swiss Chemical Society|language=en-gb|archive-date=2022-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120103359/https://scg.ch/component/page/werner|url-status=dead}} the 2016 Air Liquide Essential Small Molecules Award,{{cite journal |title=First Air Liquide Awards on Essential Small Molecules: K. Sivula, S.Kitagawa, R. Matsuda, J.-M. Savéant, M. Robert, and C. Costentin / Wolf Prize in Chemistry: R. G. Bergman / Swiss Chemical Society Awards: K. Sivula, C. Sparr, and R. R. Knowles / Knighthood: S. Balasubramanian / Wheeler Bequest Award: J. I. Seeman |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition |date=1 March 2017 |volume=56 |issue=10 |pages=2539–2540 |doi=10.1002/anie.201700844 |pmid=28185395 }}{{Cite web|date=2018-07-10|title=Producing hydrogen from water and solar energy|url=https://www.airliquide.com/magazine/science/producing-hydrogen-water-and-solar-energy|access-date=2021-04-09|website=Air Liquide|language=en}} the 2011 Prix Zeno Karl Schindler,{{Cite web|title=EPFL Prize|url=http://www.zenokarlschindler-foundation.ch/epfl-prize.html|access-date=2021-04-09|website=www.zenokarlschindler-foundation.ch}} and the 2007 Graduate Student Gold Award by the Materials Research Society.{{Cite web|title=Past Recipients {{!}} MRS Graduate Student Awards|url=https://www.mrs.org/careers-advancement/awards/spring-awards/graduate-student-awards/past-recipients|access-date=2021-04-09|website=www.mrs.org}}{{Cite web|title=CV – Prof. Kevin SIVULA|url=https://www.epfl.ch/labs/limno/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Kevin-SIVULA_CV_1page_102018.pdf}}

He is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Swiss Chemical Society.{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://scg.ch/|access-date=2021-04-09|website=Swiss Chemical Society|language=en-gb}}

In 2020, Clarivate ranked him among the 1000 most highly cited researchers.{{Cite web|title=kevin sivula's Publons profile|url=https://publons.com/researcher/2622828/kevin-sivula/|access-date=2021-04-12|website=publons.com|language=en}}

• {{cite journal |last1=Sivula |first1=Kevin |last2=Le Formal |first2=Florian |last3=Grätzel |first3=Michael |title=Solar Water Splitting: Progress Using Hematite (α-Fe2O3) Photoelectrodes |journal=ChemSusChem |date=18 April 2011 |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=432–449 |doi=10.1002/cssc.201000416 |pmid=21416621 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Tilley |first1=S. David |last2=Cornuz |first2=Maurin |last3=Sivula |first3=Kevin |last4=Grätzel |first4=Michael |title=Light-Induced Water Splitting with Hematite: Improved Nanostructure and Iridium Oxide Catalysis |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition |date=23 August 2010 |volume=49 |issue=36 |pages=6405–6408 |doi=10.1002/anie.201003110 |pmid=20665613 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Paracchino |first1=Adriana |last2=Laporte |first2=Vincent |last3=Sivula |first3=Kevin |last4=Grätzel |first4=Michael |last5=Thimsen |first5=Elijah |title=Highly active oxide photocathode for photoelectrochemical water reduction |journal=Nature Materials |date=June 2011 |volume=10 |issue=6 |pages=456–461 |doi=10.1038/nmat3017 |pmid=21552270 |bibcode=2011NatMa..10..456P }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Sivula |first1=Kevin |last2=van de Krol |first2=Roel |title=Semiconducting materials for photoelectrochemical energy conversion |journal=Nature Reviews Materials |date=20 January 2016 |volume=1 |issue=2 |page=15010 |doi=10.1038/natrevmats.2015.10 |bibcode=2016NatRM...115010S |s2cid=138751980 }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Dotan |first1=Hen |last2=Sivula |first2=Kevin |last3=Grätzel |first3=Michael |last4=Rothschild |first4=Avner |last5=Warren |first5=Scott C. |title=Probing the photoelectrochemical properties of hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) electrodes using hydrogen peroxide as a hole scavenger |journal=Energy Environ. Sci. |date=2011 |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=958–964 |doi=10.1039/C0EE00570C }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Prévot |first1=Mathieu S. |last2=Sivula |first2=Kevin |title=Photoelectrochemical Tandem Cells for Solar Water Splitting |journal=The Journal of Physical Chemistry C |date=5 September 2013 |volume=117 |issue=35 |pages=17879–17893 |doi=10.1021/jp405291g }}
• {{cite journal |last1=Brillet |first1=Jeremie |last2=Yum |first2=Jun-Ho |last3=Cornuz |first3=Maurin |last4=Hisatomi |first4=Takashi |last5=Solarska |first5=Renata |last6=Augustynski |first6=Jan |last7=Graetzel |first7=Michael |last8=Sivula |first8=Kevin |title=Highly efficient water splitting by a dual-absorber tandem cell |journal=Nature Photonics |date=December 2012 |volume=6 |issue=12 |pages=824–828 |doi=10.1038/nphoton.2012.265 |bibcode=2012NaPho...6..824B |s2cid=122196272 }}

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• {{Google Scholar id|id=e0tQrsEAAAAJ}}
• Website of the [https://www.epfl.ch/labs/limno/ Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Optoelectronic Nanomaterials]

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