Luis Liz-Marzán has been listed among “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” by Thomson Reuters, and has been featured on the list of the “300 most cited researchers in Materials Science and Engineering”, while being a member of several prestigious academic societies.
His current research focuses on understanding the mechanism underlying the growth of metal nanocrystals, as well as tailoring their surface chemistry and directing nanoparticle self-assembly. He also works on the design of biomedical applications based on the plasmonic properties of well-defined metal nanoparticles and nanostructures.
When he is not synthesizing nanoparticles, Luis enjoys connecting with nature by swimming in the sea, a place where every stroke earns him his creative epiphanies. A broad range of literature from novels, to history, and sociology essays, provides him much joy. The hobby of reading stemming from his childhood where the stories he read fueled his growing and vivid imagination, spending much of his time reading on his family’s farm, deepening his curiosity about the way nature works. He recalls this memory as possibly being an indication of his interest in science, even if it wasn’t entirely obvious to him at the time.
Thriving on the multidisciplinary nature of science, he takes every opportunity to learn from his colleagues. However, he also expresses his concerns regarding a recent trend, in which he states, “I see a threat related to an increasing lack of rigor in the collection and presentation of results. We are pushing (in particular) young scientists to publish much and fast, which often comes at the expense of insufficient control experiments and reproducibility tests.”
Some of the main challenges in his field of research include predictive nanoparticle synthesis, and the introduction of nanomaterials to the market in a way that benefits society.
Luis is currently working towards learning the basics of 3D printing, and hopes that future research would bring about technology that allows us to understand in detail the processes involved in tumor growth and metastasis.
To gain an overview of some of the recent developments in nanoplasmonics, check out the comprehensive review by Luis and his team in the Advanced Materials Hall of Fame virtual issue.
