Shrayesh Patel

Shrayesh Patel is an Associate Professor of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley and previously conducted postdoctoral research at UC Santa Barbara. His research focuses on functional polymers for energy storage and conversion, particularly batteries and thermoelectrics. Patel employs advanced techniques like synchrotron x-ray scattering to study material properties at molecular scales.

Education:

• B.S./M.S. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Tech (2007)
• PhD in Chemical Engineering, UC Berkeley (2013)
• Postdoctoral Researcher, UC Santa Barbara Materials Research Laboratory

Research Interests: The Patel Group develops functional polymeric materials for energy applications, emphasizing ion transport characterization and redox-active systems. Key areas include:

• Organic batteries and redox-active particles
• Thermoelectric materials
• Liquid crystal polymers
• Electrochemical thermal energy systems

Notable Achievements:

• 2023 PMSE Early Career Investigator
• ACS Polymers Au's 2022 Rising Stars in Polymers

Advising & Collaborations: Patel mentors over 10 graduate students and postdocs, including co-advised students with Professors Paul Nealey and Seth Darling. His group actively collaborates with Argonne National Laboratory and leverages synchrotron facilities for advanced characterization.

Research Infrastructure: The group maintains state-of-the-art labs in the Eckhardt Research Center, focusing on polymer synthesis, electrochemical testing, and advanced microscopy.