Northwestern and IIN Claim Two ACS National Awards at 2026 Ceremony

The International Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN) congratulates IIN Director Chad A. Mirkin and IIN-affiliated researcher Lin X. Chen on receiving 2026 American Chemical Society National Awards at this year’s ceremony.

Mirkin, the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern, received the ACS Award in the Chemistry of Materials, sponsored by DuPont, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the chemistry of materials with emphasis on research of technological importance. Mirkin earned the honor for establishing the field of colloidal crystal engineering with DNA, creating a first-of-its-kind class of materials whose properties have opened new areas of study and produced real-world benefits across science and engineering.

His impact as a researcher and colleague was also noted: “Chad has not only taught us how to synthesize oligonucleotide-nanoparticle conjugates, especially spherical nucleic acids — an entirely new class of materials — but has also elucidated their chemical and physical properties and applied the information to open new fields, benefiting society and transforming chemistry education,” said Mercouri G. Kanatzidis, Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University.

Chen, a Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern and Argonne Distinguished Fellow, received the E. Bright Wilson Award in Spectroscopy for trailblazing work on X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy that deepened fundamental understanding of light-matter interactions and solar energy conversion. Her pioneering techniques for capturing molecular structures in ultrafast excited states have opened novel avenues for next-generation energy storage and conversion technologies, research that sits at the intersection of spectroscopy and nanoscale science, which is at the heart of the IIN’s mission. 

Congratulations to Chad and Lin on their well-deserved recognitions! Building entirely new fields and rewriting the playbook at the intersection of chemistry, nanoscience, materials science, and analytical tool development is exactly the kind of work the IIN is all about.