Jeff Dahn
Jeff Dahn is recognized as one of the pioneering developers of the Li-ion battery. His career began at Moli Energy in the 1980s, where he was a key figure in the world’s first commercialization of rechargeable lithium cells. His 20-year research partnership with 3M led to the co-invention and commercialization of NMC cathode materials and advancements in alloy-based anode materials. Since 2016, he has led a research partnership with Tesla as the NSERC/Tesla Canada Industrial Research Chair. Dahn's recent work has concentrated on increasing the energy density, improving the lifetime and lowering the cost of Li-ion batteries.
As a dedicated mentor, Dahn has trained over 65 Ph.D. Students and 30 Postdoctoral fellows, many of whom now lead the global battery industry. He is the author of over 850 refereed journal papers. His many honors include the Order of Canada, the Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal (2017) and the Olin Palladium Medal (2023). (Episode S1E2)