Professor Malika Jeffries-EL

Professor Malika Jeffries-EL
Department of Chemistry and Division of Materials Science
Boston University

Design and synthesis of organic electronic materials

The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of consumer electronics in use. Previously, most households had a landline phone, one or two televisions, and the occasional desktop computer. These days, most people own numerous electronic devices, leading to a heightened demand for the semiconducting materials that drive this technology and the energy needed to power them. Consequently, there has been considerable interest in developing organic semiconductors, as many inorganic materials used in these devices are in limited supply. Organic semiconductors consist of either polymers or small molecules with extended pi-conjugation. These materials possess a range of exceptional electronic, optical, and thermal properties, making them well-suited for applications such as transistors, solar cells, and light- emitting diodes. However, several challenges must be addressed before practical products can be developed. Our group focuses on the design and synthesis of new organic semiconductors based on low-cost and/ or easily prepared starting materials. Because the properties of organic semiconductors can be readily modified through chemical synthesis, we have shifted our focus towards the design and synthesis of novel aromatic building blocks. We have developed several new materials, including wide- band gap materials for use in organic light-emitting diodes and narrow- band gap materials for use in photovoltaic cells. Our recent work on these topics will be presented.

Malika Jeffries-EL

Malika Jeffries-EL received BA degrees in Chemistry and Africana Studies from Wellesley College, as well as M. Phil and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from George Washington University.She worked as a post-doctoral researcher under Professor Richard D. McCullough at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2005, she joined the faculty in the Chemistry Department at Iowa State University and was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2012. In 2015, she was a Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professor in the Chemistry Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She joined the Department of Chemistry and Division of Materials Science at Boston University in 2016 and was promoted to Professor in 2022. Since July 2020, she has served as the Associate Dean of the Graduate School in Arts and Sciences. 

Dr. Jeffries-EL’s research focuses on developing organic semiconductors–materials that combine the processing properties of polymers with the electronic properties of semiconductors. She has authored over 50 publications and delivered more than 200 lectures both domestically and internationally. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2023), and the American Chemical Society (ACS) (2018). She has received numerous awards, including the Robert Holland Jr. Award from Research Corporation (2023), the Percy Julian Award from the National Organization of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) (2021), and the ACS Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences (2015). Currently, she serves as an Associate Editor for the RSC flagship journal Chemical Science. Professor EL is also a strong advocate for diversity and a dedicated volunteer involved in various initiatives within the American Chemical Society. Additionally, she is a science communicator who aims to inspire students from underrepresented groups to pursue STEM degrees and recently appeared in the NOVA series Beyond the Elements. She contributes to the community through her work with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Dr. Jeffries-EL is a native of Brooklyn, New York.

Hosted by Professor Timothy Lodge

Learn more about the Jeannette Brown Lectureship

The 2025 Jeannette Brown Lectureship is generously supported by the Sherwin-Williams Company.