Lewis worked at Stanford as an assistant professor from 1981 to 1985 and then as a tenured Associate Professor from 1986 to 1988, before returning to Caltech in 1988. He became a full professor at Caltech in 1991. In 1992, he became the Principal Investigator of the Molecular Materials Resource Center at the Beckman Institute at Caltech.[6]
His research interests include surface chemistry, particularly silicon surfaces and their photoelectrochemical performance. The study of electron transfer reactions, both at surfaces and in transition metal complexes, in response to light, has relevance for the creation of semiconductors and for artificial photosynthesis.[7] A major focus of his research is solar energy.[8][9][10][11] He is working on the development of components for a photoanode, photocathode, and ion-conducting membrane for a system for artificial photosynthesis that would use sunlight and water to produce hydrogen and oxygen.[12] He is also engaged in "big-picture" thinking about the science and policy issues affecting solar conversion.[8][9]
In addition, Lewis is involved in the creation and use of novel organic polymers[13] and the creation of sensor arrays and pattern recognition algorithms for an "electronic nose" that can be used for detection of explosives and diagnosis of illness.[8][2] The American Ceramic Society awarded him the 2003 Edward Orton, Jr. Memorial Lecture award for "An ‘Electronic Nose’ Based on Arrays of Conducting Polymer Composite Vapor Detectors".[14]
^Mann, Kent R.; Lewis, Nathan S.; Williams, Roger M.; Gray, Harry B.; Gordon, J. G. (April 1978). "Further studies of metal-metal bonded oligomers of rhodium(I) isocyanide complexes. Crystal structure analysis of octakis(phenyl isocyanide)dirhodium bis(tetraphenylborate)". Inorganic Chemistry. 17 (4): 828–834. doi:10.1021/ic50182a008.
^Lewis, Nathan Saul (1981). Manipulation and measurement of charge transfer kinetics at chemically modified electrodes (Ph.D. thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. OCLC8040676. ProQuest303048409.
