Tomonori Saito

Dr. Tomonori Saito is a synthetic polymer chemist, who has extensive experience in the synthesis of well-defined polymers via living/controlled polymerization as well as post-modification of various polymers. His expertise has been applied to various projects at ORNL including polymer upcycling, vitrimers, flow battery, fuel cell membranes, ion-conducting polymers for batteries and battery binders, CO₂ separation membranes, polymer nanocomposites, additive manufacturing, polymer nanoparticles, elastomers, self-healing materials, thermal insulation materials, gas pipeline renewal, uranium extraction from seawater, carbon fiber composites, polyolefin-based carbon fibers, lignin based-carbon fibers, and lignin-based renewable thermoplastics. He has published more than 160 peer-reviewed articles (h-index 57), 17 patents issued (many were licensed.), won R&D 100 in 2012, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, 2025, and FLC award in 2025, as well as received the inventor of the year by Battelle in 2023, and elected for Battelle distinguished inventor in 2024.

His strength in research relies on the use of his skills in synthetic polymer chemistry to impact material sciences, energy, and chemical & environmental engineering applications. His polymer synthesis experience includes synthesis of block, graft, random copolymers with functional groups using living anionic polymerization, ATRP, RAFT, ROMP, conventional free radical polymerization, step-growth polymerization, and post-functionalization chemistry. His engineering expertise includes design, process and characterization of polymeric materials using various techniques for applications such as 3D printing, thermal insulation materials, renewable/upcycled plastics, carbon fibers, composites, gas pipe rehabilitation, CO₂ separation membranes, fuel cell, flow battery, self-healing materials, elastomers, metal adsorbents, ion-conducting polymers for energy storage, etc..