Rhoic unlocks a new era of nanomanufacturing, overcoming a fundamental trade-off: speed vs. quality. Our novel alternating field electrospinning process enables high-throughput, roll-to-roll production of nanofiber materials. Rhoic is starting with production of ultra durable, high-performance, low-cost fuel cells—accelerating hydrogen adoption for transportation and industry.
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John Slack
John Slack is the founder and CEO of Rhoic, a company developing nanomaterial manufacturing to revolutionize the hydrogen economy. After earning a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University, he led research teams across industry, academia, and national labs at Nikola Corporation. With over 12 years of experience in hydrogen, he applies insights from nano- to industry-scale to tackle key bottlenecks and drive H₂ adoption.
TECHNOLOGY
Critical Need
Diesel-powered trucks and heavy equipment are among the largest sources of air pollution, emitting harmful particulate matter and noxious fumes that degrade public health. Hydrogen fuel cells offer a zero-pollution alternative, but adoption remains stalled by high costs, untapped efficiency gains, and outdated manufacturing. The production of membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs)—the core of fuel cells—relies on inefficient, defect-prone processes that require energy-intensive drying. Without a breakthrough in high-speed, defect-free, and cost-effective MEA manufacturing that produces ultra-high-efficiency fuel cells, hydrogen will remain economically uncompetitive.
Technology Vision
Rhoic has developed a breakthrough alternating field, high-throughput electrospinning process that eliminates the speed vs. quality tradeoff in nanomanufacturing. Unlike conventional slot-die and gravure coating, Rhoic’s process enables rapid, roll-to-roll nanofiber deposition with near-instant solvent evaporation, side-stepping many problems associated with dry-zones. While the company’s initial focus is revolutionizing fuel cell manufacturing, its platform unlocks advances in energy storage, filtration, and high-performance coatings—transforming how critical materials are produced across industries.
Potential for Impact
Through next-generation manufacturing processes and superior product performance, Rhoic’s fuel cell innovation allows U.S. manufacturing to compete globally, reducing reliance on imported crude oil while creating a profitable demand-sink for all sources of hydrogen. Beyond fuel cells, Rhoic’s scalable nanomanufacturing process has the potential to accelerate innovation in advanced filtration, batteries, and catalyst development, bringing new levels of efficiency and cost reduction to industries critical for a clean-energy future. This shift also strengthens the U.S. economy by creating high-skilled manufacturing jobs and enhances energy security, providing reliable, domestically produced power for data centers, industry, and defense.
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Rhoic