Sara Thoi was raised in Los Angeles, CA and found her love for chemistry as a high school student. Her interest in research was solidified at UC San Diego, where she conducted research in coordination complexes and metal organic frameworks and obtained her B.S. in Chemistry in 2008. She then traveled up the state to UC Berkeley where she received her PhD in Chemistry in 2013, studying molecular catalysts for photo- and electrochemical reduction of protons and carbon dioxide. Returning to Los Angeles, Thoi completed her postdoctoral work on the development of metal-carbon composites for solid acid fuel cells at Caltech in the Materials Science Department. In 2014, Thoi was awarded the Young Investigator Award by the American Chemical Society, Division of Inorganic Chemistry.

Thoi joined the Department of Chemistry at JHU in 2015 as an assistant professor. Her research group is focused on 1) the development of conductive metal and covalent organic frameworks for electrode and electrolyte materials in fuel cells and batteries, 2) the use of conductive aerogels as scaffolds for catalytic reactions, and 3) the discovery of new molecular metal complexes for activating energy-relevant small molecules.

Press

Researchers Aim to Expand Solar Energy Usage, The Hub

ROSEI Affiliated Researcher Q&A: Sara Thoi, ROSEI Website