Dr B. Dam appointed Professor of Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage (DCT)

Sustainable energy
Dr Dam’s research fits in well with the goals of the DelftChemTech department in the area of sustainable energy. The applied physics approach and expertise of Dr Dam will generate a strong impulse for the research already being conducted into thin film materials within the DelftChemTech department. Some of this research will now be clustered in the new MECS research group, namely research into solar energy, hydrogen production by means of photo catalysis, hydrogen separation by means of membranes and hydrogen storage (gas hydrates, metal hydrides, catalysts).

Gradient films
Dr Dam applies a clear experimental focus in his research. He is an excellent physical chemist who has developed an impressive arsenal of infrastructure for thin film growth in Amsterdam, including pulsed-laser deposit systems and a high-vacuum sputter system with seven sources for making gradient films. For this latter item of equipment Dr Dam recently developed an ingenious method for depositing materials with a huge variety of compositions on a single wafer, and on this basis directly determining the best composition for hydrogen storage.

Publications
In the course of his career Dr Dam has built up an impressive list of publications in journals such as Physical Review Letters, Nature, Physical Reviews B., and Advanced Materials.

Patents
The applications of the materials on which Dr Dam concentrates include hydrogen storage, switchable mirrors and sensors. Thanks to his work at Philips, Dr Dam has developed a good instinct for the practical applicability of his work and for the potential social impact of his scientific work. He already has two patents to his name and three patent applications currently underway.