Larry Hough

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT LARRY HOUGH

I obtained my Ph.D. in physics from Lehigh University, where my research focused on using the breakthrough technique of optical tweezers to understand the microscopic mechanical properties ofsoft materials. After Lehigh, I joined Arjun Yodh’s lab at the University of Pennsylvania, where my research focused primarily on single-wall carbon nanotubes for advanced applications. In 2005, I joined Solvay (formerly Rhodia INC) in the Complex Fluids Lab. My research included advancements in structured surfactant systems and new rheology-modifying polymers for several years. In 2009, I was installed as the first director of the Complex Assemblies of Soft Matter Lab (UMI 3254). This unique lab was a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania, Solvay, and the French Scientific Research Agency (CNRS). Innovations from the lab under my tenure included new polymers for the retention of water in agrochemical applications, dendrite-mediated self-assembly of nanoparticles for display and catalysis, silver nanowires for next-generation transparent electrodes, and hyperuniform materials for optoelectronic applications. Next, I headed to Korea and managed the lithium-ion battery lab for Solvay, a differentiating lab for a chemical company. The lab allows for the construction, assembly, and testing of lithium-ion batteries. In 5 years, I doubled the headcount of the lab to 20 people, and sales of battery materials continued to increase each year despite challenging macroeconomic conditions. I then moved back to the US as a Senior Research and Innovation Manager and Solvay Fellow, still working in the battery space. Today, I am a Senior Manager in the Technology Development Group within Northvolt in Västerås, Sweden. I am the co-inventor of 35 patent families and co-author of 16 external publications. Please look at my Google Scholar profile to learn more about me.