LSU Chemistry Professor Receives NSF CAREER Award to Develop Advanced Materials for Energy Applications
January 28, 2025
Assistant Professor Sviatoslav Baranets, LSU Department of Chemistry
Assistant Professor Sviatoslav Baranets from the LSU Department of Chemistry received a National Science Foundation, or NSF, CAREER grant to support his groundbreaking research on developing new semiconducting materials for thermoelectric applications. Baranets’ work addresses critical global energy challenges by exploring innovative ways of converting waste heat into electricity.
"Thermoelectric power generation can serve as an excellent alternative to traditional energy sources as they provide a green way of converting waste heat into electricity without emissions or pollution," Baranets said. "Imagine if this technology could be integrated into your shoes. The body's warmth can be converted into electricity and used to charge your phone as you walk."
Semiconductors are fundamental components of modern electronics, which power various technologies such as computers, smartphones, and renewable energy sources. These components are typically made from elements like silicon or germanium and possess unique electrical properties that allow them to conduct electricity under certain conditions.
However, semiconducting materials for thermoelectric generators must possess compounds with a perfect balance of properties. Unlike silicon, which is widely used in computing, thermoelectric materials require a narrow bandgap and low thermal conductivity combined with high Seebeck efficiency and good electrical conductivity. Achieving this balance is particularly challenging because these properties cannot be adjusted independently.
Baranets’ funded project will explore a unique class of compounds called heteroanionic oxypnictides. These compounds incorporate multiple anionic species, such as oxides and pnictides, into their crystal structures, offering structural and compositional diversity and enabling fine-tuning of critical properties.
The Baranets group will specifically investigate multinary Zintl-like heteroanionic oxypnictide semiconductors, known for their narrow bandgaps, structural versatility, and tunable transport properties, making them promising candidates for high- and mid-temperature thermoelectric applications.
"By employing a combination of solid-state synthesis techniques, high-throughput computational discovery, and electronic structure analysis, we aim to create complex compounds that meet all the necessary criteria, transforming energy generation and utilization into a more efficient and environmentally friendly process," Baranets said.
The funded project also emphasizes the importance of STEM education by engaging students in interdisciplinary research. Undergraduates and graduate students will gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge experimental techniques and computational tools, equipping them to tackle future challenges in energy and technology.
In addition, Baranets will use virtual reality tools to enhance STEM learning and foster collaboration with local high schools. He plans to conduct workshops for teachers and coaching sessions for the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad, where he serves as an ACS Baton Rouge Local Section coordinator.
"The CAREER award highlights our group's innovative approach and commitment to addressing global energy challenges," Baranets said. "We hope to improve thermoelectric materials and inspire the next generation of scientists to connect science with impactful solutions."
About Sviatoslav Baranets
Assistant Professor Sviatoslav Baranets joined the LSU Chemistry faculty in fall 2022. He earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in chemistry from Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University and completed his Ph.D. at the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry in Kyiv, Ukraine. After earning his Ph.D., Baranets worked as a visitor researcher at the Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, and as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Delaware.
In addition to research, Baranets has teaching experience at the high school and college levels. During his doctoral studies, Baranets worked as a high school chemistry teacher from 2010 to 2017. He also taught as an adjunct instructor at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, U.S., from 2021 to 2022.
In 2024, he received the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from Oak Ridge Associated Universities for his work on the structural and electronic properties of Zintl Pnictides under high-pressure conditions. His research focuses on novel heteroanionic semiconducting materials and Zintl cluster compounds for energy applications and delivering effective teaching strategies in the classroom. Learn more about Baranets and group members on his faculty website.