Isotopes are variants of a chemical element that have the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons, resulting in different atomic masses. Some isotopes are essential to fundamental chemistry, medical applications, and the nuclear industry. For example, deuterium (an isotope of hydrogen) is used as a neutron regulator and potential fuel for nuclear fission and fusion.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Dawei will engineer interfaces and reactors to separate isotopes with improved selectivity and energy efficiency.
Dawei will study the fundamentals of isotope effects, aiming to enable a cheaper and cleaner way of providing critical materials for the fission and fusion industries.
Dawei will pivot from Electrochemistry to Nuclear Chemistry