Education
Ph.D. in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (EPFL, Lausanne)
September 2017 – July 2022
Doctoral Thesis Award in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (ISIC award)
Thesis: Semiconducting two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides via solution-processable routes
B.Sc. in Chemistry (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
August 2012 – May 2016
Highest Honors and Distinction
Thesis: Phosphorene: Synthesis and controlled oxidation using selective environmental parameters
Exchange year (Université Grenoble Alpes)
September 2014 – June 2015
Professional Experience
Trinity College Dublin, Dublin
Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc.Mobility Fellow
Chemical Physics of Low-Dimensional Nanostructures Lab - Professor Jonathan Coleman
January 2024 – Present
Fellowship awarded for project titled: Organic nanomaterials for next-generation printable devices based on Molecularly Engineered Nanosheets (Org(n)ano).
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne
Project Officer
Vice-Presidency for Post-Graduate Education, Doctoral School
September 2022 – December 2023
Strategic planning for doctoral school structure, course development, and doctoral program evaluations. Coordinating a curriculum on leadership/management, science communication, and policy for the EPFL PhD Excellence Program.
Graduate Research Assistant, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Optoelectronic Nanomaterials - Professor Kevin Sivula
September 2017 – July 2022
Developed innovative methods for scalable production of pristine 2D TMD materials. Extensively characterized their morphology and optoelectronic properties with emphasis on optoelectronic and photoelectrochemical device performance.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Chemistry & Applied Physical Sciences
The Materials Discovery Lab - Professor Scott Warren
August 2013 – May 2016
Characterized the then novel 2D material phosphorene, special focus on optoelectronic properties and scalable production. Elucidated oxidation and degradation mechanisms in response to varying environmental factors.
Teaching Experience
Vice-presidency for post-graduate education, Doctoral School, EPFL
Development and support for doctoral courses in transversal skills - September 2022 - December 2024
Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (ISIC), EPFL
Supervision of Master’s thesis projects in Chemical Engineering - Autumn 2019, Spring 2021
Graduate Teaching Assistant - September 2018 - January 2022
Intro to chemistry (French/English)
General chemistry for University of Lausanne medical students (French)
Intro to chemical engineering lab (French/English)
Course Translations for Intro to chemistry (French/English)
Chemistry Department, UNC-Chapel Hill
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant - January 2013 - May 2016
General descriptive chemistry 101 & 102
Personal Tutor - Summer 2013
General descriptive chemistry 101 & 102
Tutor.com
Part-time Tutor in Chemistry, Math, and French - December 2016 – August 2020
Service Activities
PhD Student Representative, EDCH Doctoral Program, EPFL
October 2020 – January 2022
Acted as liaison (between EDCH PhDs and the EPFL administration at all levels), event planner, PhD student coordinator, and mental health advocate. Founded the EDCH PhD Student Committee and launched the EDCH peer mentor program for new students.
Sponsor Relations Coordinator, Club Montagne, EPFL
September 2019 – December 2021
Maintained working relationships with club sponsors, identified potential new partnerships, and negotiated deals and promotions for club members.
Fundraising Sub-Chair, Carolina For the Kids, UNC
September 2012 – May 2014
Organized fundraising events on and off-campus, supported merchandise creation and sales, and provided logistics support at two 24-hour “dance” marathons.
Awards and Honors
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) Postdoc.Mobility Fellow, 2024
MRS + NSF Meet the New Faculty Candidates Poster Session Awardee, 2023
RSC Young Researcher Development Grant II, 2023
MIT Chemical Engineering Rising Star, 2023
Doctoral Thesis Award in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (ISIC), 2022
MRS Graduate Student Gold Award, 2022
MRS Best Student Presentation Award, 2022
E-MRS Young Researcher Award, 2022
RSC Young Researcher Development Grant I, 2022
Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) Chemistry Travel Award, 2020
Highest Honors in Chemistry, 2016
Graduation with Distinction, 2016
Jason D. Altom Memorial Award for Undergraduate Research, 2015
Herring Study Abroad Scholar, 2014
Carrie Largent Research Fellowship, 2014
Invited Talks and Seminars
Rowland Institute at Harvard, Rowlands Fellow Finalist, invited seminar
November 2023
Advancing 2D Materials towards Next-Generation Electronic and Optoelectronic Devices
Materials Research Society, invited talk
November 2023
Solution-Processed Transition Metal Dichalcogenide 2D Nanoflakes for Photoelectrochemical Energy Conversion
European Materials Research Society, WiRE Honorarium Speaker
June 2022
Engineering 2D TMD nanoflake films for solar energy conversion applications
Conferences
Materials Research Society, oral presentation + poster presentation (November 2023)
A scalable route for composition-tunable transition metal dichalcogenide nanosheets
Meet the New Faculty Candidates Poster Session (Financial support awarded by MRS + NSF)
European Materials Research Society, oral presentations
June 2022
Exploring the optoelectronic properties of high-performing 2D TMDs exfoliated via solution-processable routes (Young Researcher Award)
Roll-to-roll deposition of 2D TMD nanoflake films for large area solar energy conversion
Materials Research Society, oral presentations
May 2022
From powder to large-area films—A solution-processable route for production of pristine and alloyed 2D TMDs for optoelectronic applications (MRS Graduate Student Gold Award)
Engineering solution-processable 2D TMD nanoflakes for photoelectrochemical applications (Best Student Presentation awarded)
Electrochemical Society (PRiME), oral presentation + poster presentation
October 2020
Roll-to-roll deposition of 2D nanoflake films of TMDs for optoelectronic applications (SCNAT Chemistry Travel Award)
Exploring the optoelectronic properties of solution processed 2D TMD nanoflakes Exfoliated via large molecule electrointercalation
European Materials Research Society, oral presentation
May 2019
The roll-to-roll deposition of 2D nanoflake films of TMDs for optoelectronic applications
Publication Record
RA Wells, NJ Diercks, V Boureau, Z Wang, Y Zhao, S Nussbaum, M Esteve, M Caretti, H Johnson, A Kis, K Sivula. Composition-Tunable Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Nanosheets via a Scalable, Solution-Processable Method. Nanoscale Horizons. (2024)
RA Wells and K Sivula. Assembling a photo-active 2D puzzle: from bulk powder to large-area films of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides. Accounts of Material Research. 4, 4, 348-358. (2023)
MC Caretti, E Mensi, R Kessler, L Lazouni, B Goldman, L Carbone, S Nusbaum, RA Wells, H Johnson, E Rideau, JH Yum, K Sivula. Transparent porous conductive substrates for gas-phase photoelectrochemical hydrogen production. Advanced Materials. 35, 9, 2208740. (2023)
MC Caretti, L Lazouni, M Xia, RA Wells, S Nussbaum, D Ren, M Grätzel, K Sivula. Transparency and morphology control of Cu2O photocathodes via an in situ electroconversion. ACS Energy Letters. 7, 5, 1618-1625. (2022)
RA Wells, M Zhang, TH Cheng, V Boureau, MC Caretti, Y Liu, JH Liu, H Johnson, S Kinge, A Radenovic, K Sivula. High performance semiconducting nanosheets via a scalable powder-based electrochemical exfoliation technique. ACS Nano. 16, 4, 5719-5730. (2022)
HH Cho, L Yao, JH Yum, Y Liu, F Boudoire, RA Wells, N Guijarro, A Sekar, K Sivula. A semiconducting polymer bulk heterojunction photoanode for solar water oxidation. Nature Catalysis. 4, 5, 431-438. (2021)
L Yao, Y Liu, HH Cho, M Xia, A Sekar, BP Darwich, RA Wells, JH Yum, D Ren, M Grätzel, N Guijarro, K Sivula. A hybrid bulk-heterojunction photoanode for direct solar-to-chemical conversion. Energy & Environmental Science. 14, 5, 3141-3151. (2021)
L Yao, N Guijarro, F Boudoire, Y Liu, A Rahmanudin, RA Wells, A Sekar, HH Cho, JH Yum, F Le Formal, K Sivula. Establishing stability in organic semiconductor photocathodes for solar hydrogen production. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 142, 17, 7795-7802. (2020)
RA Wells, H Johnson, CR Lhermitte, S Kinge, K Sivula. Roll-to-Roll Deposition of Semiconducting 2D Nanoflake Films of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for Optoelectronic Applications. ACS Applied Nano Materials. 2, 12, 7705-7712. (2019) *ACS Editors’ Choice, Cover Art awarded
N Guijarro, L Yao, F Le Formal, RA Wells, Y Liu, BP Darwich, L Navratilova, HH Cho, JH Yum, K Sivula. Lead halide perovskite quantum dots to enhance the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells. Angewandte Chemie. 131, 36, 12826-12834. (2019)
X Zhu, N Guijarro, Y Liu, P Schouwink, RA Wells, F Le Formal, S Sun, C Gao, K Sivula. Spinel structural disorder influences solar‐water‐splitting performance of ZnFe2O4 nanorod photoanodes. Advanced Materials. 30, 34, 1801612. (2018)
KL Kuntz, RA Wells, J Hu, T Yang, B Dong, H Guo, AH Woomer, et al, SC Warren. Control of surface and edge oxidation on phosphorene. ACS applied materials & interfaces. 9, 10, 9126-9135. (2017)
AH Woomer, TW Farnsworth, J Hu, RA Wells, CL Donley, SC Warren. Phosphorene: synthesis, scale-up, and quantitative optical spectroscopy. ACS Nano. 9, 9, 8869-8884. (2015) *ACS Nano Most Read
Patent Record
Solution-based deposition method for preparing semiconducting thin films via dispersed particle self-assembly at a liquid-liquid interface, 2023 | (US11551928B2)
Solution-based deposition method for preparing semiconducting thin films via dispersed particle self-assembly at a liquid-liquid interface, 2022 | (US20210313177A)
Two dimensional materials produced by the liquid exfoliation of black phosphorous, 2016 | (WO2016018988A)