Nathan S. Lewis is the George L. Argyros Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
He specializes in functionalization of silicon and other semiconductor surfaces, chemical sensing using chemiresistive sensor arrays, and alternative energy and artificial photosynthesis.
In 1992, he became the Principal Investigator of the Molecular Materials Resource Center at the Beckman Institute at Caltech.
The study of electron transfer reactions, both at surfaces and in transition metal complexes, in response to light, has relevance for the creation of semiconductors and for artificial photosynthesis.
[8][9][10][11] He is working on the development of components for a photoanode, photocathode, and ion-conducting membrane for a system for artificial photosynthesis that would use sunlight and water to produce hydrogen and oxygen.