Maher El-Kady is a distinguished researcher and innovator, currently serving as a
professional researcher at the UCLA Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. He is also
recognized as the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Nanotech Energy, Inc. With
a remarkable career spanning across various disciplines, El-Kady has made significant
contributions to the fields of energy, electronics, and sustainability through his
expertise in materials design and implementation. At the heart of El-Kady's work lies an
interdisciplinary approach, encompassing chemistry, materials science, engineering,
molecular and cell biology, and their convergence in creating advanced materials and
devices. His pioneering efforts have led to groundbreaking advancements in multiple
domains, including batteries, implantable medical devices, nanogenerators for wearable
and skin electronics, chemical sensors and biosensors, solar cells, artificial
photosynthesis, water remediation, and environmental monitoring. El-Kady's doctoral
research, conducted under the guidance of Prof. Richard Kaner, a renowned authority in
materials science at UCLA, yielded significant breakthroughs in graphene chemistry and
supercapacitors.
His seminal contributions to the field laid the foundation for the establishment of
Nanotech Energy, Inc., a company dedicated to transforming the battery industry. As the
company's chief science and technology officer, El-Kady spearheads a team of talented
scientists and engineers in realizing the commercial potential of his innovations.
El-Kady has co-authored nearly 200 patents and patent applications and more than 70
papers in prestigious journals, attracting 20,000+ citations. His professional
experiences resulted in numerous awards including Energy Storage Materials Young
Scientist Award, Iconic Express Magazine top 10 Influential Leaders of 2023, C-Level
Focus 10 Best CTO's of 2022, C&EN Talented 12 from the American Chemical Society, the
UCLA Herbert Newby McCoy Award, Amgen Postdoctoral Award, Lindau Graduate Student Award,
the Cairo University Presidential Award for Excellence in Research in addition to a
research award from the Government of Egypt. Additionally, his research accomplishments
have been showcased in various media outlets, including a documentary produced for the
Sundance Film Festival on ideas that could change the world. He also appeared in the
popular NOVA science show and on BBC Four screen in a series of episodes that tell the
stories behind some of the most significant inventions that helped shape the world we
live in today. Furthermore, El-Kady had the privilege of featuring in a movie alongside
Nobel laureate Harry Kroto, whose groundbreaking discovery of fullerenes over three
decades ago ignited a global surge of nanotechnology research. Throughout his career,
El-Kady developed a long-standing passion for creating "smart" materials that will
transform our lives.
Plenary Title:
Reinventing Batteries for a Sustainable and Electrified World
Abstract:
Lithium-ion batteries have changed the way we live, powering everything from smartphones to electric cars. But to keep up with the growing demands of electrification, we need to overcome persistent challenges around safety, performance, and large-scale manufacturing. In this talk, I will share how our team at UCLA and Nanotech Energy is addressing these challenges through advanced materials design and scalable engineering solutions. By integrating functional nanomaterials such as graphene into lithium-ion batteries, we are developing energy storage systems that are safer, longer-lasting, and higher performing. These innovations are enabling new possibilities in consumer electronics, data centers, micro-mobility, and home energy storage. Our efforts have moved beyond the laboratory, with technologies now being scaled up at our 150 MWh production facility in California. This work highlights how fundamental research and industrial innovation can come together to advance the energy technologies of the future.
