Introduction
Maksym V. Kovalenko (born 1982) is an associate professor of chemistry at ETH Zurich where his research group focuses on applying inorganic ligands to quantum dots and developing fully inorganic perovskite nanocrystals.
Early life and education
Maksym Kovalenko was born in 1982 in western Ukraine. He studied chemistry at Chernivtsi National University. In 2007, Kovalenko obtained his Ph.D. at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria under the supervision of Wolfgang Heiss. During this time, he focused on narrow band gap quantum dots, and published several articles on HgTe, SnTe, and iron oxide nanocrystals.
Academic career and research
After the completion of his Ph.D., he moved to the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois as a post-doctoral research assistant in the group of Dmitri Talapin. In 2009, Kovalenko published an article in Science describing the use of inorganic ligands on colloidal nanocrystals.
In 2011, Kovalenko accepted an assistant professorship at ETH Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland. Initially, the research group focused on the development of new synthetic approaches for nanocrystals and their utilization in batteries and photodetectors. However, in 2015, the group published their most highly-cited work on the synthesis of fully inorganic perovskite nanocrystals. In 2016, Kovalenko received tenure and became an associate professor at ETH Zurich. He continued leading his research groups at both ETH Zurich and Empa. Since then, the research group of Kovalenko have focused on understanding and improving colloidal perovskite nanocrystals and investigating ways to create better batteries from nanocrystals as well as investigating new, emissive solid-state materials.
Additional roles
Kovalenko currently serves as an associate editor for the journal Chemistry of Materials. He has served as the chair of the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (LAC) at ETH Zurich from 2018 to 2019.
Awards and recognition
- Rössler Prize 2019
- Highly Cited Researcher 2018
- ERC Consolidator Grant 2018
- Werner Prize 2016
- Ruzicka Prize 2013
- ERC Starting Grant 2012