Honorary Professor Jean-Pol Dodelet, of Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He was the only researcher at a Québec university to receive this prestigious distinction in 2016. The fellowship recognizes his outstanding contribution to the development of a new generation of molecular fuel cell catalysts. Professor Dodelet will receive this honour at the induction ceremony for new Fellows on February 18, 2017, at the AAAS Annual Meeting in Boston.
Professor Dodelet and his team have invented a new generation of platinum-free catalysts that make it possible to manufacture highly efficient, low-cost hydrogen fuel cells. In addition to developing very active catalysts using iron instead of platinum (2009 article in Science and first patent), Professor Dodelet's team also boosted the catalysts' initial performance in fuel cells (2011 article in Nature Communications and second patent). This breakthrough offers real potential not only for powering battery and fuel cell hybrid vehicles of the future, but also for supplying energy for lighting and heating homes.
Professor Dodelet, an honorary professor since 2015, continues his work on developing non-noble metal catalysts with his colleagues at INRS and around the world to ensure that they are durable enough for commercial applications.
Congratulations to Professor Dodelet for this well-deserved distinction!
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About AAAS
Founded in 1848, the AAAS is the biggest scientific society in the world and one of the oldest federations in the field. It is made up of nearly 250 affiliated organizations and science academies, reaching 10 million people. It publishes a number of scientific journals, including Science. Through its programs and activities, the AAAS aims to make science and technology more accessible for all.
About INRS
Institut national de recherche scientifique (INRS) is a graduate-level research and training university and ranks first in Canada for research intensity (average funding per professor). INRS brings together some 150 professors and close to 700 students and postdoctoral fellows at its four centres in Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, and Varennes. Its basic research is essential to the advancement of science in Quebec and internationally, and its research teams play a key role in the development of concrete solutions to the problems faced by our society.