Page 15 - Sensor100 Jan '13

S100: Other than ChemFets, what are you most proud of?
JJ: 1.Theory of work function modulation by doping with gases. Entire new class of
chemical sensors can be based on that. 2. Electrochemical determination of acidity
function from – 10 to + 26. 3.The atomic metals (present project)
S100: Your book,“Principles of Chemical Sensors”, is now in its 2nd edition and is consid-
ered the standard text on the subject. Are you still teaching?
JJ:Yes, and I am enjoying it
S100:You have been working on chemical sensors for (forgive me) about 40 years - quite
a long time. What have been the major developments?
JJ:There is (or should be) an interesting physical-chemical story behind every good
chemical sensor. I believe thatWork Function sensors will become very important
as soon as the chemiresistor manufacturers come to their senses.There has been
tremendously important and interesting work done in optical sensors. Higher
order chemical sensing arrays will be the next thing to come
S100: What do you think are the technologies/applications which will become important
in the next 5-10 years?
JJ: Combination of chemical sensing arrays with advanced chemometrics is the low-
hanging fruit ready to be picked up. In a non-sensor field any advances in nuclear
energy are essential for the future of mankind.
S100: Anything you wish you had done, but someone got there first?
JJ: Whatever I do I try to be “the first”. However, I know very little or nothing
about 99.99% of science
S100:What do you do outside the lab? Still skiing?
JJ: Music above all.After that nothing …… and then music .Yes, I still ski (very care-
fully), hike, bike, play tennis and swim
S100: Who would you most like to have dinner with (not necessarily alive today)?
JJ: Barack Obama.There are lot of things that I would like to tell him about
S100: Final question. What would like to be doing 5 years from now?
JJ: Hopefully still breathing. Other than that I would like to enjoy whatever I am
doing
S100: We hope you are - still breathing and enjoying yourself. Thanks for taking part Jiri