Paul V Braun

Prof. Paul V. Braun is the Grainger Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is also a part-time faculty member at the Beckman Institute. His research focuses on synthesizing materials with unique optical, electrochemical, thermal, and mechanical properties through nano/mesoscale architectures.

Education: B.S. (Cornell University), Ph.D. (Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois). Postdoctoral work at Bell Labs (1999–present at UIUC).

Research Interests:

• Electrochemical energy storage (batteries)
• Polymers and self-assembly
• Photonics and advanced optics
• Self-healing materials
• Control of heat and matter transport

Recent articles explore battery recycling, hydrogel thermal conductivity, additive manufacturing for heat transfer, and silicon anode analysis. His work spans materials synthesis, characterization, and applications in energy and photonics.

Awards:

• AAAS Fellow (2020)
• NAI Fellow (2022)
• Grainger Award for Translational Research (2023-24)
• MRS Fellow (2018)

Advising & Grants: Braun has co-authored ~350 publications, holds multiple patents, and co-founded four companies. His labs include the Materials Research Laboratory and Beckman Institute.