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Dr. Hongkun Park is a professor of chemistry at Harvard University and is widely recognized for his invention of single-molecule transistors as well as his innovative synthesis and characterization of transition metal-oxide nanostructures. His general research interests lie in developing a detailed physical understanding of chemically derived nanostructures and applying this knowledge to future technological applications. Dr. Park and his co-workers have invented single-molecule transistors where an individual molecule forms a current pathway and investigated their transport characteristics to gain detailed insight into the electronic motion through individual molecules. Through a series of publications, Dr. Park and his co-workers have demonstrated how the single-electron motion is coupled to spin- and vibrational degrees of freedom of individual molecules, thereby expanding our knowledge base on the electron-transport mode of molecules and related chemical nanostructures. These studies have established that single-molecule transistors provide an ideal platform for fundamental studies of nanoscale electronic devices. Dr. Park`s work is also playing an important role in assessing the viability of future molecular electronic devices and architectures.

Dr. Park is also recognized for his solution-based synthesis of transition-metal-oxide nanostructures and his invention of novel scanned-probe techniques to characterize them. As exemplified by his recent discovery of the scaling law that governs nanoscale ferroelectricity, the combined synthesis and characterization efforts in Dr. Park`s research group provide a powerful new strategy for investigating the microscopic mechanism that underlies the fascinating properties of transition metal oxides. Dr. Park`s work also provides a road map for future studies of complex oxide properties that have eluded experimental and theoretical characterizations so far.