Zhenan Bao

Zhenan Bao
Zhenan Bao
Born	Template:Birth year and age; Nanjing, China
Occupation(s)	Chemical engineer, professor
Years active	1995–present
Known for	Organic field-effect transistors, organic semiconductors, flexible electronics, electronic skin

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Zhenan Bao, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 10 August 2025

Zhenan Bao (; born 1970) is a Chinese-born American chemical engineer who holds the position of K. K. Lee Professor of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, with additional courtesy appointments in Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering. She led the Chemical Engineering Department as Chair from 2018 until 2022 and has contributed as an Associate Editor to several journals, including Chemical Science, Polymer Reviews, and Synthetic Metals. Bao is widely acknowledged for her pioneering work on organic field-effect transistors and organic semiconductors, particularly their use in technologies like flexible electronics and electronic skin.

Early life and education

Bao was born in Nanjing, China, into an academic family; her father was a professor specializing in physical chemistry at Nanjing University. She began her undergraduate education in chemistry at Nanjing University in 1987, where she engaged in polymer research within Gi Xue’s laboratory.

In 1990, Bao moved to the United States, initially enrolling at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Soon after, she was admitted directly into the PhD program at the University of Chicago due to her distinguished undergraduate achievements. Under the mentorship of Luping Yu, she concentrated on palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions aimed at synthesizing conductive and liquid crystalline polymers.

Bao received her Master of Science degree in 1993 and completed her PhD in chemistry by 1995 at the University of Chicago. Remarkably, she attained these degrees without holding a traditional bachelor’s degree.

Career

Following her doctoral studies, Bao chose to forego a postdoctoral position at University of California, Berkeley and instead joined the Materials Research Department at Bell Labs, part of Lucent Technologies. At Bell Labs, she was instrumental in creating the first fully plastic transistor—an organic field-effect transistor—which paved the way for innovations such as electronic paper. During this time, Bao co-authored two papers with Jan Hendrik Schön that were later retracted due to scientific fraud; however, she was exonerated from any wrongdoing. In recognition of her contributions, she was honored as a Distinguished Member of Technical Staff in 2001. Bao also established the Stanford Wearable Electronics Initiative (eWEAR), where she currently serves as faculty director.

Bao became a faculty member at Stanford University in 2004, dedicating her research to organic semiconductors and carbon nanotubes using advanced fabrication techniques. Her laboratory’s recent breakthroughs include developments in electronic skin and all-carbon solar cells. Additionally, Bao co-founded Silicon Valley startups C3 Nano and PyrAmes Health, both backed by venture capital, and acts as an advisor and partner at Fusion Venture Capital.

Research

As of 2022, Bao’s research group at Stanford is concentrating on creating skin-like integrated circuits through innovative printing technologies. These flexible materials are produced via photolithography combined with novel photochemical processes, facilitating applications such as wearable sensors, expansive body-area networks, and implantable bioelectronic devices.

In partnership with Karl Deisseroth, Bao has engineered biocompatible polymers capable of modulating neuronal activity by either suppressing or enhancing neural firing. This advancement supports investigations into neurological disorders including multiple sclerosis.

Fellowships

American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Chemical Society
SPIE
Terman Fellow at Stanford University

Advisory Board Roles

Additional Roles

Serving on the Board of Directors, Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, since 2022.
Advisory Council Member, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, from 2022 onward.
Participated as a Science Committee member for the Future Science Prize of China, 2018–2021.
Former Board member of the National Academies Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, 2009–2012.
Member of the Board of Directors, Materials Research Society, 2003–2005.
Held Executive Committee and Member-at-Large positions in the Polymers Materials Science and Engineering division of the American Chemical Society during 2000–2006 and 2009–2012.

Awards and Honors

2000: Recognized among Top 100 Young Engineers by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
2000: Featured in Science Magazine's Top 10 Research Breakthroughs for innovations in organic material-based large-scale integrated circuits.
2001: Received R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine for Printed Plastic Circuits used in Electronic Paper Displays.
2001: Honored with Editor's Choice "Best of the Best" in new technology by R&D Magazine.
2002: Recipient of the ACS Team Innovation Award.
2003: Included in MIT Technology Review’s Top 100 young innovators.
2003: Awarded Lucent Technologies Best Mentor Award.
2004: Honored with the 3M Faculty Award.
2004–2005: Appointed Robert Noyce Faculty Scholar.
2009: Presented with the Beilby Medal and Prize for work in organic semiconductors.
2011: Awarded the ACS Cope Scholar Award.
2013: Recognized as one of MIT Technology Review's TR35 innovators and among C&EN’s 12 rising stars for contributions to organic semiconductors.
2015: Named one of Nature's 10 "people who mattered" due to breakthroughs in wearable electronics including artificial skin replicating tactile sensation.
2016: Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.
2017: Honored as a Laureate of the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science for advances in functional polymers applied to consumer electronics, energy storage, and biomedical fields.
2017: Received ACS Award in Applied Polymer Science for pioneering polymer electronic materials used in flexible and stretchable devices.
2020: Awarded the Willard Gibbs Award.
2021: Inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
2021: Granted ACS POLY Charles G. Overberger International Prize recognizing excellence in polymer research.
2021: Honored with MRS Mid-Career Award.
2021: Received AICHE Alpha Chi Sigma Award for achievements in Chemical Engineering Research.
2021: Presented with Alumni Professional Achievement Award by University of Chicago Alumni Board.
2022: Awarded ACS Chemistry of Materials Award.
2022: Winner of the Female Innovator category at the VinFuture Prize for contributions to development of electronic skin technologies.
2023: Received Samsung Research Award from Samsung Electronics.
2023: Appointed Innovation Investigator at Arc Institute.
2024: Elected member of the National Academy of Sciences.
2024: Named Fellow of the Asian American Academy of Science and Engineering (AAASE).
2024: Honored with Faculty Women’s Forum Outstanding Leader Award at Stanford University.

Personal life

Her primary influence was Elsa Reichmanis, who served as the department director at Bell Labs during that time. She is married and has two children.

External links