Dr. David BELJONNEH-Index: 109
University of Mons, Mons, Belgium, EU
Position: Research director of the Belgian National Science foundation (FNRS), Belgium, EU
Specialization: Molecular modelling, 2D materials and oxids
Education and professional experience:
David Beljonne (1969) got his PhD in Chemistry with Professor Jean-Luc Brédas at the University of Mons-Hainaut in 1994. After post-doctoral stays at the Universities of Cambridge and Rochester, he became a research fellow of the FNRS and is now FNRS Research Director. He is also a Visiting Principal Research Scientist at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Ranked at the position88 of the world 100 top Materials Scientists 2000-2010(Thomson Reuters).
Education:
| 1980 - 1986 | High School, ‘Latin-Math’, Collège Saint-Augustin, Enghien (Belgium) |
| 1986 - 1990 | Master in Chemistry, University of Mons-Hainaut, Mons (Belgium) |
| 1990 - 1994 | Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemistry of Novel Materials (Prof. J.L. Brédas), University of Mons-Hainaut, Mons (Belgium) |
| 2001 | Habilitation in Chemistry (‘Thèse d’agrégation de l’Enseignement Supérieur’) |
Professional Position:
| 1990 - 1993 | IRSIA research fellowship, Chemistry of Novel Materials, University of Mons-Hainaut, Mons |
| 1993 - 1994 | Research assistant, University of Mons-Hainaut, Mons (Belgium) |
| 1995 - 1997 | Postdoctoral researcher (‘Chargé de Recherches’) from the Belgian National Science Foundation (FNRS, ‘Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique’) |
| 1997 - 2002 | Research associate (‘Chercheur Qualifié’) from FNRS |
| 2002 - 2007 | Senior research associate (‘Maître de Recherches’) from FNRS |
| 2007 - present | Research director (‘Directeur de Recherches’) from FNRS |
Main Scientific Activities & Achivements:
His research activities deal with the modelling using classical, quantum-chemical and phenomenological approaches of the interplay between the supramolecular organization and the opto-electronic properties of conjugated materials in the bulk phase and at interfaces. These studies aim at shedding light on the elementary electronic processes going on in organic electronic devices, such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes and field-effect transistors. More recently, he has also extended his theoretical activities to two-dimensional materials and oxides.
Major contributions in the field of molecular modelling as applied to conjugated organic molecular and polymer materials, as concerns: (i) The design of conjugated molecules (chromophores) with enhanced nonlinear optical response; (ii) The nature of the lowest singlet and triplet excitations in conjugated materials and implications for light emission; (iii) Light harvesting: Intermolecular interactions and energy diffusion processes in the condensed phase; (iv) Charge photogeneration in solar cells: Exciton dissociation at organic interfaces and singlet fission; (v) Charge transport in organic molecular and polymer crystals: Structure-property relationships; (vi) Expression of chirality at surfaces and in solution. Towards Pasteurian segregation; (vii) Tuning the electronic properties of graphene by chemical doping and confinement effects.
Scientific Publications:
Author or co-author of 326 peer-reviewed scientific publications in major journals; cited 15 378 times without self-citation; h-index: 65 (source: Web of Science); Author or co-author of 15 book chapters.