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Esther S. Takeuchi, Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, received the 2022 NAS Award in Chemical Sciences.
Takeuchi has made breakthrough contributions to the materials and mechanistic understanding relevant to electrochemical energy storage, using chemical insight to address issues of critical importance.
Her research uses fundamental understanding of electrochemical mechanisms to address societal needs. Takeuchi has advanced our understanding of fundamental electrochemistry and materials science involving electron transfer and ion transport in numerous electrochemical energy storage systems in applications ranging from medical devices to electrified transportation to backup for the power grid.
Takeuchi has demonstrated the electrochemically induced reduction-displacement mechanism that was the foundational underpinning of a successfully commercialized battery system. She was instrumental in the development and introduction of the lithium/silver vanadium oxide battery that powers implantable cardiac defibrillators. The successful deployment of these medical device batteries has extended and improved millions of lives.
The NAS Award in Chemical Sciences is presented annually to honor innovative research in the chemical sciences that contributes to a better understanding of the natural sciences and to the benefit of humanity. The NAS Award in Chemical Sciences was established in 1978 and supported by Occidental Petroleum Corporation from 1978 to 1996. The Merck Company Foundation assumed sponsorship in 1999. The award is presented with a medal and a $15,000 prize.
