OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — Oak Ridge National Laboratory manager Battelle is recognizing six of its scientists for their work to obtain patents across an assortment of disciplines.

Claus Daniel, Sergei Kalinin, Vilmos Kertesz, Huimin Luo, Thomas Potok and Xiao-Guang Sun have been named Battelle Distinguished Inventors, in recognition of obtaining 14 or more patents during their careers at the lab.

Since the University of Tennessee and Battelle began managing ORNL in 2000, 77 ORNL researchers have reached this milestone. An etched portrait of each new honoree will be added to a wall display of Distinguished Inventors at ORNL.

“We are extraordinarily proud of these scientists and ORNL’s legacy of ingenuity,” Moe Khaleel, deputy for projects at the lab, said. “Their work directly contributes to the nation’s economic security, a critical part of our mission as a national laboratory.”

Claus Daniel manages ORNL’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy program and a portfolio of hydrogen, fuel cell, solar and wind projects. Daniel is a professor at UT and is board president and co-founder of TennSMART, a public-private partnership focused on advancing intelligent mobility.

His patents cover technologies related to materials science, applied energy systems, energy storage and carbon utilization.

Sergei Kalinin is an ORNL corporate fellow at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences. Kalinin’s research is focused on applying machine learning and artificial intelligence in advanced microscopy for atomic fabrication and the discovery of new physics.

His patents cover various aspects of scanning probe microscopy and ferroelectric materials applications.

Vilmos Kertesz is a staff scientist in the Biosciences Division. Kertesz’s research is focused on mass spectrometry-based chemical profiling and imaging techniques for the chemical characterization of surfaces and single cells.

His patents cover technologies related to the development of advanced chemical analysis tools.

Huimin Luo is a senior research scientist in the Manufacturing Science Division. Her research is focused on ionic liquids, organic synthesis, rare earth metals, fluorine chemistry and nuclear chemistry.

Her patents cover technologies related to ionic liquid synthesis and applications, radioisotope separations, rare earth metal separations and ionic liquid-based lubricants.

Thomas Potok is section head for data and artificial intelligence systems research in the Computer Science and Mathematics Division. He holds a joint faculty appointment at Duke University and is co-founder of a joint venture startup commercializing his co-inventions with Covenant Health.

His patents cover technologies related to machine learning, deep learning, text analytics and neuromorphic computing.

Xiao-Guang Sun is a senior research scientist at the Chemical Sciences Division. His current research focuses on developing novel salts and organic and polymeric materials for energy storage devices.

His patents are related to electrolytes and additives that can be used to tailor ion transport and formation of beneficial surface layers to extend battery life.