Dr. Aloysius F. Hepp

Aloysius F. Hepp, Ph.D. is the Chief Technologist at Nanotech Innovations and is on the Science Advisory Board of Core Water Technologies. He recently retired as Senior Research Scientist in the Photovoltaics and Electrochemical Systems Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio, and was awarded a NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in 1997.

He worked at NASA Glenn Research Center for thirty years of his 33-year career in the areas of biomimicry, energy conversion and storage, precursors for spray pyrolysis of metal sulfides and carbon nanotubes, thin film and nanomaterials for photovoltaics and batteries, material processing of local resources for exploration and colonization of the solar system, and flight experiments for Mars and small satellites.

At Nanotech Innovations, they deliver a single-step process and instrumentation that provides a reliable and affordable source of high purity carbon nanotubes for those looking to incorporate nanotubes into their education curricula, research, and / or product development endeavors. Purchasing these materials from a supplier can be costly and in many cases the sample may contain large amounts of catalyst and amorphous carbon impurities.

Al is on the Editorial Advisory Board of Materials Science and Engineering B, an Elsevier journal. He was a consulting editor (2010–2011) and Editor-in-Chief of Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing (2012–2015) retired in January 2016; he is currently Editor-in-Chief, Emeritus and Chair of their International Editorial Advisory Board.

He has nearly 200 publications in refereed journals, conference proceedings, technical publications, and book chapters.

Over the past several years, Al has been coauthoring and coediting a series of books that represent his long-term and recent interests. Two battery books (Silicon Anode Systems for Lithium-Ion Batteries and Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Advances in High-Energy Density Batteries) present an introduction to the technologies as well as materials aspects and practical (including aerospace) applications. He coauthored chapters in each book. His two biomimicry books (Biomimicry for Aerospace: Technologies and Applications, Biomimicry for Materials, Design and Habitats: Innovations and Applications) focus on aerospace and materials, design, and habitation.
 
The content represents a cross section of presentations at recent conferences as well as original content from the international community. His Nanomaterials via Single-Source Precursors: Synthesis, Processing and Applications captures his long-term interest in nanomaterials produced from single-source precursors, containing all of the key materials elements in single molecules. His coauthored chapters include nickel chalcogenides and industrial and practical applications.
 
Finally, Al spent most of his career working in space photovoltaics. His Photovoltaics for Space: Key Issues, Missions and Alternative Technologies includes historic and background information, materials-focused chapters, and mission-oriented content. His own chapter focuses on inorganic thin film materials. Other chapters cover perovskite and III-V materials.
 

His six patents have resulted in the formation of two companies to exploit gallium arsenide passivation (Gallia) and low-temperature chemical vapor deposition of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Nanotech Innovations).

Al earned his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Inorganic Chemistry in 1983 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He earned his Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University in 1978. At Moon High School, he was part of the Chess and Debate Team, Science Club, Intramural Sports, and NSF. He went to the Summer Program in Material Science at University of Pittsburgh.

Al started his career as Professional Staff at the Center for Naval Analyses in 1984. He worked there on wargaming, radar detection, and surface warfare.

In 1985, he continued as a researcher and scientist at Polaroid Corporation, where he worked on emulsion and thin film research and development, technology transfer, and sulfide materials.

For 15 years, Al was Adjunct Faculty at Cleveland State University, between 1990 and 2005. There he taught introductory chemistry, advanced inorganic chemistry, and mentored undergraduate and graduate students.

Between 1998 and 2009, for 12 years, he was also Adjunct Faculty Instructor at Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio. He taught courses for non-majors in Physics and Chemistry Departments: materials science, history of science, and environmental science.

View the presentation of his research at NASA Glenn Research Center titled From Bench Top to Market: Growth of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Injection CVD Using Fe Organometallics — Production of a Commercial Reactor, 2009.

His papers include:

• In-Situ Resource Utilization for Space Exploration: Resource Processing, Mission-Enabling Technologies, and Lessons for Sustainability on Earth and Beyond, 2014
• Growth and Characterization of Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes at NASA Glenn Research Center, 2003
• Synthesis and Characterization of the First Liquid Single-Source Precursors for the Deposition of Ternary Chalcopyrite (CuInS2) Thin Film Materials, 2001
• Production and Use of Metals and Oxygen for Lunar Propulsion, 1994
• One-Step Synthesis of Dithiocarbamates from Metal Powders, 1993
• Room temperature synthesis of copper indium diselenide in non‐aqueous solution using an organoindium reagent, 1992

View the list of his early publications at the Catalogue of National Library of Australia.

Read the chapter Integrated Micro-Power System (IMPS) Development at NASA Glenn Research Center in the book Micropower and Microdevices: Proceedings of the International Symposium.

Read and view the paper Al coauthored, Pigs in Space: A Bio-Inspired Design and Space Challenges Cornerstone Project. View the list of his patents.

Visit his LinkedIn profile, his ResearchGate profile, MIT Academia page, and Semantic Scholar profile. Follow him on Facebook.