André Taylor facts for kids

André Taylor is an American scientist. He is a professor of chemical engineering at New York University Tandon School of Engineering. Professor Taylor studies and creates new materials. These materials help change and store energy. In 2010, he won a special award called the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. He was also recognized as one of the most important Black researchers in 2020.

Early Life and School

André Taylor went to Smith-Cotton High School in Missouri. While in high school, he lived in Spain for a year as an exchange student. He was good at sports like basketball and soccer. He was also a National Merit Scholar. This means he was a top student. He was also part of the National Honor Society.

After graduating in 1991, he went to the Missouri University of Science and Technology. There, he studied chemical engineering. He then continued his studies at Georgia Tech. Later, he earned his PhD at the University of Michigan. During his school years, Taylor worked for big chemistry companies. These included DuPont and General Motors.

Taylor was also a member of the Boy Scouts of America. He achieved the highest rank, Eagle Scout. He has said this experience taught him how important it is to protect our planet.

Research and Discoveries

Professor Taylor used to lead a lab at Yale University. It was called the Transformative Materials and Devices lab. There, he worked on new materials to change energy. He focused on solar cells made from carbon. These cells used special materials called semiconductors.

In 2018, Taylor joined the New York University Tandon School of Engineering. He kept working on materials for energy. He especially focused on perovskite solar cells. These cells might be cheaper than regular silicon solar cells.

How Perovskite Solar Cells Work

Perovskite solar cells are built like a sandwich. They have layers called P, I, and N.

• The P layer moves "holes" (which are like positive charges).
• The N layer moves electrons (negative charges).
• The I layer is the "intrinsic" layer. This layer creates electron-hole pairs when sunlight hits it.

Perovskite materials are good for solar cells because they can absorb many types of light. Taylor and his team found a simple way to make these cells. They used a spray-coating method. This method helps make the layers smooth and even. It also makes it easier to produce many solar panels at once. This means the process can be used for large-scale manufacturing.

Protecting Electronics

Besides solar cells, Taylor has also studied special films. These films block electromagnetic interference (EMI). EMI can harm smartphones and other wearable devices. The films are made from materials called MXenes. MXenes are very thin, two-dimensional materials. They are good at conducting electricity and blocking EMI.

Better Batteries

Taylor has also worked on electrochemical fuel cells and batteries. He studied lithium-ion batterys. In these batteries, the negative parts (anodes) are often made from graphitic carbon nitride. This material is cheap and easy to make. However, it doesn't conduct electricity well. It also can't store many sodium ions. This makes it hard to use for sodium-ion batteries.

To fix this, Taylor suggested a new idea. He proposed coating the graphitic carbon nitride with asphalt and urea. This change makes the material stronger and more stable. It also helps it store more sodium ions. This could lead to better and more efficient batteries.

Awards and Honors

• 2010 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
• 2010 National Science Foundation CAREER Award
• 2011 Yale Greer Memorial Prize
• 2014 Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Scholar
• 2020 The Community of Scholars Most Inspiring Black scientists in America