Christopher (Chris) Rom joined NREL as a postdoctoral researcher in 2022, focusing on the solid-state synthesis of ternary nitrides and chlorides for semiconductor and battery applications. He received his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 2016, majoring in chemistry. His graduate work at Colorado State University focused on the bulk synthesis of ternary nitrides, earning his doctorate in 2022 (advisers: Amy Prieto and James Neilson). During his graduate studies, he interned at NREL through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program, where he worked to discover new ternary nitrides using thin-film sputtering techniques. He has also worked as a backpacking guide, a research assistant in education policy, and an emergency medical technician.

For additional information, see Chris Rom's LinkedIn profile.

Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed on LinkedIn are the author’s own, made in the author's individual capacity, and do not necessarily reflect the views of NREL.

Research Interests

Solid-state batteries 

Magnets

Semiconductors 

Bulk synthesis of inorganic materials

Thin-film synthesis and characterization

X-ray scattering techniques (including in situ synchrotron studies)

Education

Ph.D., Chemistry, Colorado State University

B.S., Chemistry, Georgetown University

Professional Experience

Postdoctoral Researcher, NREL (2022–present)

DOE Science Graduate Student Research Fellow, NREL (2021–2022)

Graduate Research/Teaching Assistant, Colorado State University (2017–2022)

Emergency Medical Technician, Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service (2014–2016)

Associations and Memberships

Member, The American Ceramic Society

Member, American Academy for the Advancement of Science

Featured Work

Bulk and Film Synthesis Pathways to Ternary Magnesium Tungsten Nitrides, Journal of Materials Chemistry C (2023)

Combinatorial Synthesis of Cation-Disordered Manganese Tin Nitride MnSnN₂ Thin Films With Magnetic and Semiconducting Properties, Chemistry of Materials (2023)

Nitrogen Stabilizes the Wurtzite Polymorph in ZnSe_1−xTe_x Thin Films, Journal of Materials Chemistry C (2022)

Kinetically Controlled Low-Temperature Solid-State Metathesis of Manganese Nitride Mn₃N₂, Chemistry of Materials (2019)

Awards and Honors

Best Scientific Talk, Colorado Center for Advanced Ceramics Conference (2022)

Best Poster Award, NREL Graduate Student Poster Session (2022)

Energy Materials 1st Place Poster, North American Solid State Chemistry Conference (2021)

Best Presentation Award, Front Range Inorganic Colloquium (2021)

Outstanding Scholar Award - Graduate Student Showcase, Colorado State University College of Natural Sciences  (2020)

Outstanding Teaching Assistant, Colorado State University Chemistry Department (2020)