Thuc-Quyen Nguyen

Thuc-Quyen Nguyen is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), affiliated with the College of Letters and Science. She leads the Nguyen Research Group, focusing on organic electronics, including photovoltaics, photodetectors, and bioelectronics. Her work emphasizes understanding charge transport, morphology, and interfaces in organic semiconductors. Dr. Nguyen holds leadership roles, including Director of the Center for Polymers and Organic Solids (CPOS). She earned degrees from UCLA and has held postdoctoral positions at Columbia University and IBM Research.

Education:

• B.S., M.S., Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, UCLA (1997-2001)
• AA from Santa Monica College (1995)

Research Interests: Her group investigates organic photovoltaics, conjugated polyelectrolytes, and device physics. Key areas include exciton diffusion, green solvent processing, and stable organic electronics. Recent work focuses on high-efficiency photodetectors and self-doped materials for bioelectronics.

Awards:

• 2023 US National Academy of Engineering Member
• 2023 de Gennes Prize (Royal Society of Chemistry)
• 2019 AAAS Fellow
• 2006 NSF CAREER Award

Grants & Advising: Dr. Nguyen has mentored numerous students and postdocs. Her lab collaborates on NSF, DOE, and industry-funded projects. She chairs SPIE committees and serves on editorial boards for Advanced Materials and others.

Labs & Facilities: Her labs at UCSB include Solar Cell, OLED, and Spectroscopy facilities, shared with CPOS. Research spans materials synthesis, device fabrication, and advanced characterization (e.g., NMR, AFM).