Christopher Soles

Photo of Christopher Soles
Functional Polymers Group
christopher.soles@nist.gov
(301) 975-8087

Employment

2013 to present: Group Leader, Functional Polymers Group, Materials Science and Engineering Division, NIST

2007 to 2013: Group Leader, Electronics Materials Group, Polymers Division, NIST

2005 to 2012: Project Leader, Nanoimprint Lithograph Project, Polymer Division, NIST

2001 to 2005: Materials Research Engineer, Polymer Division, NIST

1999 to 2001: NRC Postdoctoral Fellow, Polymers Division, NIST

Education

Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, 1998

B.S.E., magna cum laude, Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, 1993

B.S.E., magna cum laude, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 1993

Short Biography

ACS Nano CoverChristopher L. Soles currently leads the Functional Polymers Group, part of the Materials Measurement Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). In 1993 Chris received Bachelors of Science degrees from the University of Michigan in Mechanical Engineering as well as Materials Science and Engineering. In 1998 he completed is Doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan under the guidance of Professor Albert Yee. In 1999 he received a NIST-NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship to work with Dr. Wen-li Wu of the NIST Polymers Division and in 2002 made the transition to a permanent research staff scientist. His research interests include thin films and polymers under confinement, polymer dynamics, lithographic pattering, porous materials, organic semiconducting materials, and ion containing polymers for energy storage and delivery. He has published over 130 peer-reviewed publications and received several notable awards.

Research Opportunities


Professional Affiliations

  • American Physical Society
  • Materials Research Society
  • American Chemical Society, Treasure of the Polymer Science & Engineering Divsion (PMSE)
  • The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE)


Awards and Honors

  • Fellow of the American Physical Society (2011) 
  • Arthur S. Flemming Award (2010)
  • Guest Editor, 2009 APS-DPOLY Special Issue of J. Polym. Sci. Part B: Polym. Phys.
  • United States Department of Commerce Bronze Medal (2008)
  • ACS Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering, Technical Program Chair (2007-2009)
  • National Academy of Sciences, Japan-US Frontiers of Science (2007, Kanagawa, Japan)
  • United States Department of Commerce Silver Medal (2006
  • United States Department of Commerce Bronze Medal (2006)
  • Presidential Early Career Award for Science & Engineering (2006)
  • National Academy of Engineering, Indo-US Frontiers of Engineering (2006, Agra, India)
  • National Academy of Engineering, Frontiers of Engineering (2004, Irvine, CA)
  • NIST Sigma Xi Best Postdoctoral Research Poster Award (2002)
  • NIST - National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (1999-2001)

Selected Publications

Polymer-Fullerene Mixing in Organic Solar Cells

August 02, 2012
Author(s):
Hyun Wook Ro, Bulent Akgun, Regis J. Kline, Chad R. Snyder, Sushil K. Satija, Christopher L. Soles, Dean M. DeLongchamp, Michael F. Toney, Alexander L. Ayzner, Brendan T. O'Connor, Matthew Hammond
The mixing behavior of the hole and electron transporting materials in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic photovoltaic (OPV) blends plays a key role in...