Professor Ken Sakaushi

Ken Sakaushi is currently the Team Leader of Electrochemical Energy Conversion Team at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan. He studied theoretical physics and materials chemistry at Keio University, and electrochemistry at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. In 2013, he has obtained his Ph.D. from the Leibniz Institute for Solid-State and Materials Research / TU Dresden with a Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst Grant. Upon completing his doctorate, he joined the Colloid Chemistry Department at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, directed by Prof. Dr. Markus Antonietti, on a Max Planck Society Fellowship. His research is recognized by several awards such as Young Scientist Award (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), CSJ Award for Young Chemist (The Chemical Society of Japan), or PCCP Prize (The Chemical Society of Japan / Royal Society of Chemistry).

His team conducts research aiming to solve modern energy issues through unveiling basic principles of electrode processes and synthesis of modern electrochemical materials towards development of advanced electrochemical technologies. His team puts special emphasis on research in collaboration with experiments, theoretical calculation, and data science, focusing on the following two points: (1) uncovering reaction mechanisms by using model electrodes, and (2) design of novel high-performance electrocatalysts.

He was elected as a visiting by-fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge, and had the opportunity to carry out study on structure-property relationships via charge transport mechanism of model materials at the Sirringhaus group.