Bradley J. Brennan
Profile
Alumni Resnick Postdoctoral Fellow 2015
Brad obtained his undergraduate degree in chemistry and biochemistry-cell-molecular biology at Drake University. There he became interested in renewable energy and sustainability. This led to internships at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Texas A&M University on projects relating to solar energy and biorenewable materials. He later obtained his doctorate in chemistry at Arizona State University, focusing on mimicking plant photosynthesis to harness solar energy. The energy research theme continued at Yale University's newly-minted Energy Sciences Institute where he interfaced light-absorbing dyes and catalysts to couple solar energy to chemical reactions (solar-to-fuels). At Caltech, his research focused on preparation of new catalysts for solar-to-fuels devices. Brad explored linking multi-metal systems capable of substantial charge density to solar-derived electricity for the production of energy-rich chemical products. These could be used for energy storage or as starting materials for production of fossil-fuel replacements.
Brad is currently chief science officer at Dimensional Energy.
Faculty Sponsor: Harry B. Gray