James L. Young

James L. Young serves as a Researcher IV in the Chemistry and Nanoscience department at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he leads critical projects in photoelectrochemistry (PEC), low-temperature water electrolysis, fuel cells, and electrochemical ammonia synthesis. His research career at NREL began as an undergraduate intern in 2010, progressed through graduate research and postdoctoral work, and culminated in his current scientist position established in 2018.

Dr. Young earned his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder under co-advisement of Steven George and Todd Deutsch, developing tandem III-V PEC devices and atomic-layer-deposited thin films. His undergraduate degree in Materials Science and Engineering came from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, establishing the foundation for his materials-focused energy research.

His primary research interests span materials electrochemistry, electrochemical devices, electrochemical ammonia synthesis, photoelectrochemistry for solar fuels, electronic properties of materials, corrosion, and atomic layer deposition. This diverse portfolio reflects his work bridging fundamental materials science with practical energy applications, particularly in hydrogen production technologies. His extensive publication record of 56 research outputs from 2015-2025 demonstrates consistent high-impact contributions to the field.

Young currently leads NREL's HydroGEN Consortium PEC projects, the H2NEW Consortium membrane electrode assembly performance ex-situ characterization task, a technology commercialization project on low-cost electrolysis diffusion media materials, and a Laboratory Directed Research and Development project on electrochemical ammonia synthesis. His recent publications focus on proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers, electrochemical deposition techniques, porous transport layers, hydrogen storage materials, and fuel cell catalyst layers.

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2011)
• NREL Director's Award (2017)
• The Electrochemical Society Energy Technology Division Supramaniam Srinivasan Young Investigator Award (2022)
• U.S. Department of Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Office Hydrogen Production R&D Award (2017)
• U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science Outstanding Mentor Award (2021)

Recognized for his mentorship with the DOE Office of Science Outstanding Mentor Award in 2021, Young actively contributes to the scientific community through memberships in the American Vacuum Society, Materials Research Society, and The Electrochemical Society. His research fingerprint shows significant activity across water splitting (100%), photocathode engineering (69%), surface science (44%), material density studies (42%), water electrolysis (34%), photoelectrochemical water splitting (34%), hydrogen evolution (33%), and photocurrent engineering (30%).