PACRIM S14: Functional Nanomaterials for Energy Harvesting and Solar Fuels

Functional nanomaterials with intrinsically new and tailored properties are key elements for developing sustainable solutions for energy harvesting. This symposium will focus on new energy technologies and advanced nanodevices such as the emerging class of inorganic-organic hybrid perovskites, next-generation photocatalysts, solar hydrogen production devices, and eco-friendly multifunctional optoelectronic devices such as quantum-dot LEDs and flexible electronic devices.

Chemically processed functional nanomaterials have emerged as key materials to develop high performance flexible and stretchable optoelectronic devices for next generation display and energy harvesting applications. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) manifest disruptive materials innovation in the field of energy harvesting due to their promising photoconversion efficiencies (> 25%), low cost, and easy solution processability. However, progress in device efficiency, long-term environmental stability, and lead-free technologies are essential for commercial uptake and deployment of perovskite solar cells. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting has emerged as a competitive technology being capable of converting solar energy directly into chemical energy using stable and efficient photocatalysts for solar hydrogen production. Recent developments based on novel materials and systems have led to significant advances in the fundamental understanding of light-induced charge dynamics and related interfacial chemical reactions and efficiencies as well as performance stability of such new systems that will be discussed in this symposium.

This international forum will present technological advances in functional materials for energy harvesting to meet the challenges of sustainable energy and environment technologies. Interested individuals are invited to contribute by submitting abstracts along the following topics.

Proposed sessions

Innovative processing of functional nanomaterials for optoelectronic devices

• Understanding of interface-driven functionalities and multi-material heterostructures
• Synthesis, functionalization, and assembly of nanomaterials and nanocomposites
• Integration of functional nanomaterials into eco-friendly multifunctional devices (energy storage, flexible display, optoelectronic and bioelectronic devices, etc.)
• Scaled-up production of nanomaterials and integration into energy harvesting devices

Functional metal oxide nano- and heterostructures for photocatalysis and solar fuels

• Inorganic nanomaterials for artificial photosynthesis
• Molecular and semiconductor catalytic materials and systems for CO₂ reduction
• Nanostructured oxide and nanocomposites for excitonic solar cells

Advanced materials for next generation photovoltaic devices

• Frontiers of organic, inorganic, and hybrid perovskite solar cells
• Solar cell architectures and materials requirements
• Next generation electron and hole transport materials
• Hybrid interfaces and nanocrystalline junctions
• Charge generation, trapping, and transport
• Optoelectronic devices based on nanoparticle, nanowires, and composites

Organizers

• Sanjay Mathur, University of Cologne, sanjay.mathur@uni-koeln.de
• Tohru Sekino, Osaka University, Japan
• Soo-Wohn Lee, Sun Moon University, Korea
• Flavio de Souza, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil
• Yasuhiro Tachibana, RMIT University, Australia
• Gunnar Westin, Uppsala University, Stockholm, Sweden
• Yoshitake Masuda, AIST, Japan
• V. Ravi Kumar, IIT Madras, India
• Daniel Chua, National University of Singapore, Singapore
• Emanuel Ionescu, TU Darmstadt, Germany
• Shashank Mishra, University of Lyon, France