FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Dr. Xiaogang Peng, currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California-Berkeley, will be joining the faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry this fall. Peng is known by scientists around the world for producing one of the most important research breakthroughs of this decade: the synthesis of nanocrystals.

"He comes to our department to establish a new research and teaching emphasis in materials science," said Professor Don Bobbitt, department chair. "Although he is just beginning his research career, he has already established an international reputation for his work in synthesizing nanocrystals. This is a major accomplishment since it was thought to be impossible to synthesize nanocrystals in a controlled manner to produce any desired size."

Dr. Peng will use the synthetic methods that he has designed, Bobbitt said, to make nanocrystals that will serve as a new generation of solid state photovoltaic devices, photoelectrochemical cells, and solar cells.

After earning his doctorate from Jilin University in China, Peng began a research program at Berkeley. The results have been published in such leading scientific journals as "Journal of the American Chemical Society," "Physical Review," "Nature," and "Journal of Applied Physics." In 1994 the National Commission of Education of China presented him the Award for Great Advancement of Science and Technology.

"Dr. Peng has as much promise as a researcher as any person I've interviewed in recent years," said Dean Bernard Madison of Fulbright College. "He will certainly help us in our efforts to become nationally known for the quality of our research programs and teaching."

# # # #