Seth Darling

Darling holds a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and astronomy from Haverford College. He completed his postdoctoral studies at Argonne as a Glenn Seaborg Fellow before joining its Center for Nanoscale Materials as a staff scientist. Darling was later promoted to director of the Institute for Molecular Engineering at Argonne, later renamed the Center for Molecular Engineering.{{Cite web|title=Seth Darling named Director of the Institute for Molecular Engineering at Argonne {{!}} Argonne National Laboratory|url=https://www.anl.gov/article/seth-darling-named-director-of-the-institute-for-molecular-engineering-at-argonne|access-date=2020-06-19|website=www.anl.gov|language=en}} In 2018, he became a senior scientist and was named director of the AMEWS Center.

Darling previously was the chief technical officer of Visual Molecules LLC, a position he held from 2008 until 2017.

Darling's research focuses on developing and studying advanced materials for applications in water treatment and other technological separations. Specifically, his group has developed coatings that offer both passive (adsorption prevention) and active (catalytic degradation) properties to mitigate membrane fouling, photothermal materials for wastewater treatment (a form of solar thermal energy), and sorbents for selective removal of contaminants.

Darling has analyzed the behavior, commercial viability, scalability, and ecological impacts of photovoltaic technologies.{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/getauthorversionpdf/c5ee00615e|title=Energy& Environmental Science}}{{Cite journal|last1=Darling|first1=Seth B.|last2=You|first2=Fengqi|last3=Veselka|first3=Thomas|last4=Velosa|first4=Alfonso|date=2011-08-26|title=Assumptions and the levelized cost of energy for photovoltaics|url=https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2011/ee/c0ee00698j|journal=Energy & Environmental Science|language=en|volume=4|issue=9|pages=3133–3139|doi=10.1039/C0EE00698J|issn=1754-5706}} This work reveals fundamental mechanisms of their operation and provides guidance on which solar energy technologies are sustainable and economical. Much of this work focused on the structure and properties of organic and hybrid materials.{{Cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=Wei|last2=Nikiforov|first2=Maxim P.|last3=Darling|first3=Seth B.|date=2012-07-18|title=Morphology characterization in organic and hybrid solar cells|url=https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/ee/c2ee22056c|journal=Energy & Environmental Science|language=en|volume=5|issue=8|pages=8045–8074|doi=10.1039/C2EE22056C|issn=1754-5706}}{{Cite journal|last1=Liao|first1=Hsueh-Chung|last2=Ho|first2=Chun-Chih|last3=Chang|first3=Chun-Yu|last4=Jao|first4=Meng-Huan|last5=Darling|first5=Seth B.|last6=Su|first6=Wei-Fang|date=2013-09-01|title=Additives for morphology control in high-efficiency organic solar cells|journal=Materials Today|language=en|volume=16|issue=9|pages=326–336|doi=10.1016/j.mattod.2013.08.013|issn=1369-7021|doi-access=free}}{{Cite web|url=http://isen-dev.tech.northwestern.edu/doc/pdf/news/scholarlypapers/YouF_OrganicPhotovoltaics.pdf|title=The Case for Organic Photovoltaics}} This includes polymer solar cells and perovskite solar cells.

Darling co-invented sequential infiltration synthesis (SIS) with Jeffrey Elam. SIS is a material synthesis technique derived from atomic layer deposition (ALD).{{Cite web|url=https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/c8/74/9f/e979cd487ea500/US8980418.pdf|title=Sequential Infiltration Synthesis For Advanced Lithography}} While ALD alternates chemical vapors to grow materials one atomic layer at a time, in SIS the vapor is diffused into the polymer rather than on top of it. SIS has been used to create coatings for semiconductor fabrication and has applications in nanolithography (recognized with an R&D100 award in 2014),{{Cite web|title=Argonne wins three R&D 100 awards {{!}} Argonne National Laboratory|url=https://www.anl.gov/article/argonne-wins-three-rd-100-awards|access-date=2020-06-19|website=www.anl.gov|language=en}} optical coatings, advanced sorbents, and membranes. SIS was also used to in the development of the Oleo Sponge to engineer a reusable oleophilic material that grabs oil molecules from water to mitigate oil spills.{{Cite web|last=staff|first=C. N. N.|title=Our oceans are amazing, but they need our help|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/07/world/amazing-oceans-spc-scn-intl/index.html|access-date=2020-06-19|website=CNN}}{{Cite web|last=Ritter|first=Malcolm|title=Scientist tweak seat cushion material to clean up oil spills|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-scientist-tweak-seat-cushion-material-to-clean-up-oil-spills-2017-3|access-date=2020-06-19|website=Business Insider}}

Darling studied the directed self-assembly of polymers and polymer/nanoparticle hybrid systems.{{Cite journal|last=Darling|first=S. B.|date=2007-10-01|title=Directing the self-assembly of block copolymers|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079670007000627|journal=Progress in Polymer Science|language=en|volume=32|issue=10|pages=1152–1204|doi=10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2007.05.004|issn=0079-6700}} He’s investigated ways to tune the nanostructures that form when block copolymers self-assemble, in order to create useful materials for nanotechnologies and other applications.{{Cite journal|last=Darling|first=Seth B.|date=2009|title=Block copolymers for photovoltaics|url=http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=b912086f|journal=Energy & Environmental Science|language=en|volume=2|issue=12|pages=1266|doi=10.1039/b912086f|issn=1754-5692}} His most cited paper reviews methods to control the self-assembly of block copolymers and their application in microelectronics and other technologies.

Darling has co-authored two books:

• Water Is...: The Indispensability of Water in Society and Life (with foreword by Seth M. Siegel);{{Cite web|title=Water Is... {{!}} Good Reads|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40971096-water-is|access-date=2022-06-27|website=www.goodreads.com|language=en}} World Scientific Publishing Co (August 23, 2018)
• How to Change Minds About Our Changing Climate;{{Cite web|title=How to Change Minds About Our Changing Climate {{!}} Good Reads|url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20862700-how-to-change-minds-about-our-changing-climate|access-date=2022-06-27|website=www.goodreads.com|language=en}} The Experiment (July 29, 2014)

• Fellow, AVS, 2024
• Researcher to Know, Illinois Science and Technology Coalition, 2022
• Samuel D. Bader Prize for Exceptional Achievement, 2017{{Cite web|date=2018-03-07|title=Hla Recognized for Exceptional Achievement at Argonne National Laboratory|url=https://www.ohio-forum.com/2018/03/hla-awarded-for-exceptional-achievement-at-argonne-national-laboratory/|access-date=2020-06-19|website=Ohio University {{!}} College of Arts & Sciences|language=en-US}}
• R&D 100 Award, Gold Special Recognition Award for Green Tech, and Editor’s Choice Award for Mechanical/Materials Research for Oleo Sponge, 2017{{Cite web|title=Argonne scientists capture several R&D 100 Awards {{!}} Argonne National Laboratory|url=https://www.anl.gov/article/argonne-scientists-capture-several-rd-100-awards|access-date=2020-06-19|website=www.anl.gov|language=en}}
• R&D 100 Award for SIS lithography, 2014
• Argonne Energy Slam Champion, 2014{{Cite web|title=Argonne OutLoud: Energy Slam {{!}} Argonne National Laboratory|url=https://www.anl.gov/argonne-outloud-energy-slam|access-date=2020-06-19|website=www.anl.gov|language=en}}
• Science Magazine Vizzie Award, 1st place, 2010{{Cite web|title=National Science Foundation {{!}} Vizzies Visualization Challenge|url=https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/scivis/vizzies_winners_2010.jsp|access-date=2020-06-19|website=www.nsf.gov}}

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