Faces of Technology
Accelerating Startups on a Nano Scale
About 10,000 times narrower than a human hair , carbon nanotubes are stronger than steel , while also possessing very unusual electronic properties . These unique characteristics and the potential applications that spring from them have transformed the work of many researchers , including Svetlana Vasilyeva .
“ I remember my first chemistry lesson and thought it was so close to magic ,” she said . “ It still feels like it sometimes . Research and development of real-life applications is my favorite part of the job .”
Vasilyeva ’ s research has contributed to the launch and success of two University of Florida spinoff companies in Gainesville : nVerpix and nHydrogen .
She serves as chief research chemist for nVerpix , which has developed a groundbreaking carbon nanotube-enabled organic light emitting transistor technology . A new pixel design promises to reduce device complexity , simplify manufacturing and increase emitter lifetime , powering bright and beautiful displays with low energy consumption .
“ The nVerpix team was invited to the Innovation Zone section of the Society for Information Display Week 2016 and won the Best Prototype Award ,” said Vasilyeva . “ This is a big step for us because manufacturers are beginning to realize that this is a viable technology that solves their problems .”
Vasilyeva is also making strides with nHydrogen , where she ’ s the chief technical officer .
“ The goal is to eliminate the precious metals as catalysts in proton exchange membrane ( PEM ) electrolyzers and fuel cells ,” she explained . “ This is a major problem for large-scale implementation of renewable energy sources like solar , wind and wave energy .”
nHydrogen ’ s technology will collect excess energy from solar panels , for example , and convert and store it as hydrogen fuel for use when the sun isn ’ t shining . Carbon nanotubes and select graphitic carbons would replace much more expensive and scarce materials , such as platinum , that are currently used . According to Vasilyeva , replacing precious metals with carbon nanotubes would result in significant cost savings for manufacturers .
58 florida . HIGH . TECH 2017
Svetlana V . Vasilyeva
Chief Research Chemist nVerpix LLC | www . nverpix . com
Chief Technical Officer nHydrogen LLC
Education : B . S . in Chemistry , Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia
Ph . D . in Chemistry , Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia
Company : nVerpix LLC has developed a groundbreaking organic light emitting transistor ( OLET ) technology to solve the OLED display backplane problem . By its unique pixel architecture that increases emitter lifetimes , simplifies manufacturing and makes use of existing LCD infrastructure , nVerpix seeks to make OLED displays affordable .
nHydrogen LLC specializes in developing novel platinum free catalysts for high-purity hydrogen production using sustainable proton exchange membrane ( PEM ) electrolysis and hydrogen oxidation in PEM fuel cells . It facilitates the large scale implementation of renewable , carbon neutral , energy sources by providing for the cost-competitive generation and conversion of hydrogen as fuel and energy storage medium .
The daughter of a nuclear physicist and chemical engineer , Vasilyeva was destined to be a scientist . As she continues advancing research for both companies , the chemist is in her element .
“ I ’ m really fortunate to work at the University of Florida ,” said Vasilyeva , a member of the research group led by Andrew Rinzler , professor in the department of physics . “ I work with a team of exceptional scientists and engineers . This is a unique , collaborative environment that transforms potential ideas and inventions into actual results .”