Michael W. Lu-Diaz, PhD

(he/him/his)

Technology Specialist | Chemical & Materials Technologies

Education

BS, Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez
PhD, Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Key Technologies

Electrochemistry
Nanomaterials
Organic Electronics
Organic Synthesis
Photovoltaics
Polymers
Thermoelectric Materials
Thin Film Devices
Transistors

Practice Groups

Chemical & Materials Technologies

Languages

Spanish

Admitted to Practice

Not yet admitted to practice

Location

Boston

Overview

Michael Lu-Diaz assists the firm in patent prosecution in areas related to chemistry and materials science. He utilizes his broad technical experience to regularly support clients in areas related to flexible electronics, semiconductors, and polymer-based devices.

Michael enjoys learning about clients’ new scientific inventions, helping build out IP portfolios, and assisting with bringing value through creative and broad-coverage patent prosecution. He has experience drafting patent applications, responding to office actions, and performing freedom-to-operate studies. He utilizes his chemistry background and interdisciplinary training to provide value to clients.

Prior to joining Wolf Greenfield, Michael completed his PhD in chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In his doctoral research, Michael studied the thermoelectric and dielectric properties of polymers and organic-inorganic hybrid composites. He spearheaded a collaboration between experimentalists and theorists to optimize charge transport in doped organic semiconductors. Michael was a technology specialist summer intern at Wolf Greenfield before joining the firm full time.

Recognition

Marvin D. Rausch Fellowship for first place in oral presentation competition, 2023
UMass Chemistry Department Ambassador Travel Award, 2023
UMass Graduate School Dissertation Research Grant Award, 2023
UMass College of Natural Sciences Graduate Leadership Fellowship to create mentoring training opportunities and improve sense of belonging of graduate students, 2022
Donald Kuhn Graduate Fellowship for excellence in research in chemistry, 2021
William E. McEwen Fellowship for third place in poster session, 2021
Soft Materials for Life Sciences National Research Traineeship, National Science Foundation, 2019
Spaulding-Smith Fellowship, 2018

Publications

Lu-Diaz, M.; Duhandžić, M.; Harrity, S.; Samanta, S.; Akšamija, Z.; Venkataraman, D. Dopant-Induced Energetic Disorder in Conjugated Polymers: Determinant Roles of Polymer–Dopant Distance and Composite Electronic Structures. J. Phys. Chem. C 2024, 128 (14), 5996–6006.
Duhandžić, M.; Lu-Diaz, M.; Samanta, S.; Venkataraman, D.; Akšamija, Z. Carrier Screening Controls Transport in Conjugated Polymers at High Doping Concentrations. Phys. Rev. Lett. 2023, 131 (24), 248101.
Upadhyaya, M.*; Lu-Diaz, M.*; Samanta, S.; Abdullah, M.; Dusoe, K.; Kittilstved, K. R.; Venkataraman, D.; Akšamija, Z. Raising Dielectric Permittivity Mitigates Dopant-Induced Disorder in Conjugated Polymers. Adv. Sci. 2021, 8 (19), 1–10. *first co-authorship
Boyle, C. J.; Upadhyaya, M.; Wang, P.; Renna, L. A.; Lu-Diaz, M.; Pyo Jeong, S.; Hight-Huf, N.; Korugic-Karasz, L.; Barnes, M. D.; Aksamija, Z.; Venkataraman, D. Tuning Charge Transport Dynamics via Clustering of Doping in Organic Semiconductor Thin Films. Nat. Comm. 2019, 10 (1), 1-10-1–10.
Yamanushkin, P.; Lu-Diaz, M.; Edwards, A.; Aksenov, N. A.; Rubina, M.; Rubin, M. Directed Nucleophilic Addition of Phenoxides to Cyclopropenes. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2017, 15 (38), 8153–8165.