Biography

Cao's current research is focused on nanomaterials for energy-related applications such as solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, and hydrogen storage. Other research includes scintillation oxides, nanobiosensors, and PZT-based microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices. Cao has published over 200 refereed papers, and authored and edited 4 books and 3 conference proceedings on nanotechnology. He serves as editor of the Annual Review of Nano Research and associate editor of the Journal of Nanophotonics.

Education

• Ph.D., Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
• M.S., Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Shanghai, China
• B.S., East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China

Research Statement

Cao's research focuses on chemical processing, characterization, and applications of nanostructured materials and coatings and devices for energy conversion and storage as well as sensors and actuators. In general, our research can be grouped as follows:

• Engineering nano and microstructures for excitonic solar cells: dye- and quantum dot-sensitized solar cells, inverted polymer solar cells and perovskite solar cells
• Design and controlled synthesis of nanostructured electrodes for rechargeable batteries: alkaline-ion batteries, metal-oxygen betteries, and flow batteries
• Electrodes for electric double layer capacitors and pseudocapacitors
• Dielectrics, ferroelectrics, and piezoelectrics and devices
• Template-based growth of nanorod, nanotube, and nanocable arrays
• Dielectrics, ferroelectrics, and piezoelectrics and devices
• Organic-inorganic hybrids and coatings for sensing, filtration, corrosion protection, and surface modification

Honors & awards

• Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher in Materials Science, 2014-2015
• UW Presidential Entrepreneurial Faculty Fellow, 2012
• Chaire Saint-Gobain Lectureship (invited professor), Ecole Polytechnique–CNRS, Paris, 2010
• Northwest Region Clean Tech Open Award, 2009
• UW Distinguished Teaching Award, 2000
• UW College of Engineering Outstanding Educator Award, 1999
• European Union Research Fellowship, Netherlands, 1993