Prashant Jain

Prashant Jain is the G. L. Clark Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Illinois, affiliated with the School of Chemical Sciences and the Materials Research Lab. He also holds roles as Associate Head of Undergraduate Instruction and affiliate faculty at IQUIST. His research focuses on quantum light-matter interactions, plasmonics, and nanomaterials for energy conversion and catalysis. He earned a polymer engineering undergraduate degree and a PhD from Georgia Tech, followed by postdoctoral work at Harvard and UC Berkeley.

Education: B.S. in Polymer Engineering, Ph.D. in Chemistry (Georgia Tech), Postdoctoral Research (Harvard, UC Berkeley).

Research Interests: Plasmon-driven energy conversion, artificial photosynthesis, superionic conduction in nanomaterials, and catalytic mechanisms. His lab develops tools like nanoDDSCAT for nano-optics simulations and has pioneered studies on plasmonic chemistry and nanoscale phase transitions.

Articles Trends: Recent work addresses plasmonic catalysis, superconductivity puzzles (LK-99), and biomedical applications of plasmonics. Over 120 peer-reviewed articles and 140 invited lectures highlight his impactful contributions.

• Awards: 2022 APS Fellow, 2022 Guggenheim Fellowship, NSF CAREER Award (2015), and multiple teaching awards.

Advising/Grants: Leads a diverse research team and has secured NSF and other grants. Previously chaired the Chemical Physics PhD program and served on hiring/promotion committees.

Labs/Teams: Directs the nanoscale light-matter interactions lab, collaborating globally to advance quantum materials and sustainable energy solutions.