Materials for photonics and electronics
DNext-Generation Solar Technologies: unconventional materials and sustainable innovations for photovoltaic, photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic systems
The high efficiency and adaptability of semiconductors for solar applications make them pivotal for clean energy solutions. This symposium explores the application and exploitation of advanced and unconventional materials in photovoltaics, photoelectrochemical cells and photocatalytic systems, to achieve high conversion efficiency and produce value-added solar fuels and chemicals.
Scope:
Photovoltaic (PV) devices leveraging on advanced materials, such as inorganic, hybrid, and organic semiconductors, carbon-based, polymeric and molecular materials, have achieved impressive solar conversion efficiencies, particularly in innovative thin-film perovskite solar cells (PSC). These records are attained with lab-scale active areas on rigid conductive glass, utilizing engineered materials, optimized layers and design for maximizing the power output under outdoor illumination. Beyond large-scale energy production, these versatile PSCs find applications in diverse fields.
This symposium will explore the latest advancements in materials, fabrication techniques, and applications of both conventional and unconventional semiconductors. Sustainable alternatives such as lead-free perovskites, less toxic solvents, and alternative electrodes will be discussed, highlighting their promising innovations, e.g. sensitivity to various wavelengths which opens new avenues for novel detector technologies. Scalable production methods and the use of lightweight, flexible substrates, ideal for space exploration and indoor light harvesting, enabling the Internet of Things, will also be covered.
A significant focus will be also on materials innovation towards solar fuels and chemicals, crucial for achieving net-zero emissions and fighting global warming. The symposium will cover recent advances in materials, composites, catalysts, device architecture, theory, and characterization of photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells for solar fuels and chemicals, including the use of buried PV systems for improved PEC delivery. Photocatalytic (PC) systems will be discussed, focusing on established and emerging photocatalysts (including nature-inspired and nature-derived ones), novel designs, and in-flow procedures. The exploration of hybrid species aims to achieve the highest solar absorption and conversion in photoanodes, photocathodes, and photocatalysts, addressing challenges such as performance, charge transfer dynamics, novel reactions, stability, scalability, and techno-economic assessment.
Hot topics to be covered by the symposium:
- PSC for space application, indoor light harvesting, radiation detection
- Fully inorganic PSC
- Pb-free/-less PSC and perovskite-inspired materials
- Innovative and sustainable charge transport materials, alternative electrodes, substrates, green solvents for PSC manufacturing
- Novel materials/composites for water splitting, CO2 conversion, waste utilization, organic transformation in PEC/PC systems
- PEC-PV: Integration of PV (PSC, OPV, 2D…) in PEC cells
- Surface engineering to improve charge transport and PEC performance via in situ/operando characterization
- Insights from theoretical models, simulations, technoeconomic assessment for industrial and societal applications
- Scalability of PV, PEC and PC systems: modular approaches, decoupled systems, concentrated sunlight, large-area cells
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Dept. of Electronic Engineering, Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE), via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
francesca.de.rossi@uniroma2.itDept. Chemical Sciences, via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy
francesco.lamberti@unipd.itDepartment of Applied Physical Science, Kenan Laboratories, 125 South Rd, 27514, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
luigi.a.castriotta@unc.eduDepartment of Chemistry and NIS Interdepartmental Center, via Gioacchino Quarello 15/a, 10135 Turin, Italy
matteo.bonomo@unito.itDept. of Chemical Engineering, Room 412, ACEX building, South Ken. campus, U.K.
s.eslava@imperial.ac.ukCorso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
teresa.gatti@polito.it