Jonathan E. Mueller is a senior scientist at Volkswagen AG, working in the area of materials research for energy applications. His research utilizes atomistic multiscale modeling to overcome materials challenges in the automotive industry. He leads collaborative projects, combining experimental and theoretical approaches to develop materials for batteries and fuel cells.
He was awarded a Ph.D. in chemistry at California Institute of Technology in 2010 for his theoretical investigations of hydrocarbon chemistry on nickel surfaces. During his graduate studies, he collaborated closely with industrial partners to apply materials modeling to technological problems. He holds a M.S. in applied physics from California Institute of Technology and a B.A. in Chemistry and Philosophy from Wheaton College.
Following his doctoral studies, he received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to apply multiscale materials modeling to electrochemical and electrocatalytic systems at Ulm University. Prior to joining Volkswagen AG, was a staff scientist at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, where he modeled the atomistic structures, properties and behaviors of diverse battery materials.
Advancing automotive innovation with materials modeling
Materials modeling software holds great promise for industrial research and development efforts in the face of diverse materials challenges. Bringing a new materials-based product to the market requires various stages of materials research and engineering. Materials modeling software should be designed to address the unique challenges faced at each stage of a product’s development.
Approaches to overcoming these challenges are not to be primarily evaluated based on their formal correctness, but on their ability to successfully advance the development of new technologies made possible by novel materials.
