Actinia Founder Mercouri Kanatzidis Wins Royal Society of Chemistry’s 2023 Centenary Prize
Northwestern University Professor Mercouri Kanatzidis, who was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences earlier this year, has won the Royal Society of Chemistry‘s 2023 Centenary Prize. Professor Kanatzidis is being recognized by the Royal Society for “pioneering contributions to the synthesis and development of novel semiconducting halide perovskites for application in solar energy conversion,” and for excellence in communicating scientific principles to students and the public. His discovery and elucidation of the photovoltaic properties of perovskites has resulted in “a new era in solar energy conversion,” and dozens of companies are now racing to commercialize perovskite solar cells. Actinia was founded by Professor Kanatzidis to enable commercialization of another useful property of perovskites, their ability to detect X-rays and gamma rays with higher sensitivity and lower cost than current commercial materials. These materials will soon allow X-ray machines, CT scanners, and other medical imaging devices to attain images at less than half of the radiation dose that is needed today! Kairos Ventures is privileged to work with leading lights like Professor Kanatzidis to support innovative companies such as Actinia. Congratulations, Mercouri!