The first in his family to go to university, Professor Franck Natali sees earning the title of Professor as the culmination of years of research and teaching.
"Reaching this position is also a reflection of the brilliant students, postdocs, colleagues, and collaborators I’ve had the privilege of working alongside," Professor Natali says.
On his first day in the laboratory during his PhD, Professor Natali saw a quote by 17th Century playwright, Pierre Corneille, scrawled on the whiteboard: “A vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire”, meaning “to conquer without danger is to triumph without glory”.
This sentiment has stuck with him throughout his career, from completing a BSc and MSc in Electronic Engineering, and a PhD in Physics, to his current work at Te Herenga Waka as a professor, the MacDiarmid Institute as principal investigator, and at Liquium as chief scientific officer and founder.
"I never really thought of becoming an academic and my journey certainly didn't follow a predetermined path," says Professor Natali.
"I actually started out studying engineering. It wasn’t until I finished my undergraduate studies at the University of Bordeaux that my focus shifted toward semiconductor physics and the intricate ways these materials are made. This was largely inspired by some incredibly talented professors."
He dove into the field during an exciting time for the nanoscale physics and materials science, which was experiencing a massive global surge in interest, driven by the breakthrough development of solid-state light-emitting diodes—the blue, green, and white LEDs that now power the energy-efficient lighting we use every single day.
"The realisation that we could manipulate matter at the atomic level to fundamentally change its physical properties, such as controlling the exact colour of light it emits, fascinated me,” he says.
"Honestly, it felt less like a job and much more like fun."
Professor Natali considers himself a lifelong learner, and despite spending less time in the lab now, his heart continues to be in experimental work.
"What excites me most is the unknown—having the possibility to investigate entirely new research avenues where the outcomes aren't mapped out yet, the possibility of uncovering an unexpected phenomenon."
His early academic and professional career focused on energy-efficient lighting applications and small-scale electronic devices driven by nanoscale physics, but today, his focus is on deep-tech solutions that target massive industrial sectors, where problems are harder to abate.
"The work I’m doing now explores the development of novel chemical catalysts for cleaner ammonia production, and what I find most fascinating is the throughline," says Professor Natali.
"Even though these catalysts—materials designed to make chemical reactions more efficient—are deployed in massive chemical plants, their performance is still fundamentally dictated by physics and chemistry at the atomic scale.
"Rethinking a century-old, highly energy-intensive industrial process and making it vastly more efficient using next-generation materials is incredibly exciting."
Professor Natali explains that materials science is the invisible foundation of our modern world—everyone is familiar with standard building materials like steel and cement, but the materials that power our electronics and chemical industries are practically invisible.
"We work at the 'nanoscale'—a level so incredibly small that we are essentially stacking individual atoms like Lego bricks," says Professor Natali.
"Instead of using traditional manufacturing, some of the highly advanced processes I used in my career act like a precise, atomic-level spray paint. By zooming in to see how chemical and physical properties interact at this microscopic level, we are trying to discover entirely new physical behaviours.
"Ultimately, these tiny, custom-built materials could serve as the building blocks for the next generation of electronics, catalysts, chemical production, sensors, and much more."
In his inaugural lecture, Professor Natali will explore how nanoscale technology can be used to create tangible climate tech solutions, and how these atomic footprints are discovered, designed, and deployed to tackle the global energy transition.
"The core message for my inaugural speech is that science profoundly matters,” he says.
"I want people to walk away understanding that physics isn't just about studying the abstract laws of matter in a vacuum—it underpins our everyday lives and the very technology we rely on.
"We are actively working to solve real, massive problems that matter to society."
Professor Natali's inaugural lecture, Building from scratch: How materials science is decarbonising the world, will be held on Thursday 3 September from 5.30–6.30 pm in the Hunter Council Chamber, Level 2, Hunter building, Kelburn campus. Register to attend.