Douglas A. Loy

Douglas A. Loy is a full Professor at the University of Arizona with joint appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and additional affiliations with the BIO5 Institute and the School of Mining and Mineral Resources. A fifth-generation Arizonan, he earned his BS in Chemistry from the University of Arizona (1983), MS in Chemistry from Northern Arizona University (1986), and PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine (1991). Before returning to academia he spent 14 years at Sandia National Laboratories and then led the Polymer and Nanomaterials Synthesis Team at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Research Interests

• Sol-gel & polysilsesquioxane chemistry: fundamental studies and unconventional routes to hybrid organic-inorganic materials.
• Tetrazine polymer chemistry: synthesis, click modification, and application in antioxidant foams and UV-stable sunscreens.
• 3-D printing of glasses & ceramics: additive manufacturing of micro-optics, multi-refractive-index glass objects, and transparent devices using silica and silsesquioxane resins.
• Energy & biomaterials: new materials for energy storage, polymer-ceramic bone scaffolds, and smart packaging films.

Across more than 70 recent publications (2012-2025), the dominant themes are advanced additive manufacturing of specialty glasses and ceramics, design of photochemically stable sunscreen systems, and development of multifunctional polymer-ceramic composites for biomedical and energy applications. The work integrates molecular-level organic synthesis with macro-scale materials processing, enabling applications ranging from holographic micro-optics to lunar in-situ resource utilization.

Scientific Awards & Recognition
While specific honors are not listed in the provided text, Loy is described as a “distinguished member of technical staff” at Sandia National Laboratories, indicating prior recognition for his research achievements.

Funding & Collaborative Teams
At the University of Arizona his group pursues federally and industrially funded projects spanning NSF, DOE, and NASA programs, particularly in advanced manufacturing and energy materials. He collaborates closely with the BIO5 Institute for biomedical applications and with the School of Mining and Mineral Resources for resource-based materials research. No explicit student lists are included in the text.

Laboratory & Facilities
Loy’s laboratories are located in Mines and Metallurgy 338B at the University of Arizona, equipped for sol-gel synthesis, polymer processing, and state-of-the-art 3-D printing instrumentation including multi-photon lithography systems for micro-optics fabrication.