Seth B. Darling

Seth Darling is the director of the Center for Molecular Engineering (CME) and a scientist whose work blends chemistry, physics, materials science, and molecular engineering. His teams at Argonne National Laboratory create and study materials for energy and water. Recently, Darling and his colleagues at Argonne invented the Oleo Sponge, which has been designed to help clean up oil spills in water. The sponge can soak up as much as 90 times its weight in oil and, unlike other sponges, can capture oil below the water’s surface.

An award-winning scientist, Darling has published over 140 papers and is the author of two books, Water Is… and How to Change Minds about Our Changing Climate. He holds over a dozen patents and lectures widely on topics related to energy, climate, and water.