Despite the impressive performance of lead halide perovskites in photovoltaics and other optoelectronic applications, their propensity to decompose into harmful lead-based compounds when exposed to humid air highlights the need for less toxic and air-stable alternatives that would replicate the outstanding optoelectronic properties of lead halide perovskites. To this aim, a wide range of perovskite-inspired materials (PIMs) have been proposed as thin films and colloidal nanocrystals. Their rich and complex chemistry and physics is, however, still poorly understood, leaving large room to uncover their untapped potential.
- Synthesis of thin and nanocrystalline halide perovskites and perovskite-inspired materials
- Advanced spectroscopy studies, hot carriers, polarons, excitons
- Computational insights on emerging perovskite derivatives
- Defect chemistry of lead-free perovskite-inspired materials
- Solar cells
- Indoor photovoltaics
- Photocatalysis
- Sustainability potential of lead-free perovskites and derivatives
Dr. Galian received her Ph.D in Chemistry at the National University of Cordoba, Argentina in 2001. Then, she was a postdoc researcher at the Polythecnic University of Valencia, University of Valencia and University of Ottawa. During those years, she has studied photosensibilization processes by aromatic ketones using laser flash photolysis techniques and was involved in photonic crystal fiber/semiconductor nanocrystal interaction projects. In 2007, Dr. Galian came back to Spain with a Ramon y Cajal contract to study the surface chemistry of quantum dots and since 2017 she has a permanent position as Scientist Researcher at the University of Valencia. Her main interest is the design, synthesis and characterization of photoactive nanoparticles and multifunctional nanosystems for sensing, electroluminescent applications and photocatalysis.
After her PhD degree in Telecommunications and Microelectronics Engineering on flexible dye solar cells, awarded by University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’ in 2014, Dr De Rossi spent nearly 4 years abroad, working as a Technology Transfer Fellow in SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre at Swansea University (UK). She was part of the PV team led by Prof T.M. Watson, focusing on the upscaling of printable perovskite solar cells, and lead of the stability activity within his group.
She is currently a fixed term researcher (RTDa) in the group led by Prof F. Brunetti, working on smart designed, fully printed flexible perovskite solar cells and photocapacitors.
Laura Herz is a Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford. She received her PhD in Physics from the University of Cambridge in 2002 and was a Research Fellow at St John's College Cambridge from 2001 - 2003 after which she moved to Oxford. Her research interests lie in the area of organic and organic/inorganic hybrid semiconductors including aspects such as self-assembly, nano-scale effects, energy-transfer and light-harvesting for solar energy conversion.
Lorenzo obtained his PhD in Chemistry in 2003 and since 2008 is Assistant Professor at the Chemistry Department of the University of Pavia. In 2021 he was appointed Full Professor in the same department. He was the recipient of the Young Scientist Award for outstanding work in the field of perovskites at the International Conference on Perovskites held in late 2005 in Zürich, of the “Alfredo di Braccio” Prize for Chemistry 2008 of Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei awarded to distinguished under 35-year-old chemists and contributed the Journal Materials Chemistry and Chemical Communications“Emerging Investigator” issues in 2010 and 2011. He is working in several areas of solid state chemistry with particular interest in the investigation of structure–properties correlation in different kinds of functional materials, in particular electrolyte materials for clean energy, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites and catalysis materials. He is author of more than 200 papers on international peer-reviewed journals. Since 2018 he is member of Academic Senate and Vice-Director of the Chemistry Department. He is Director of the INSTM Reference Center “PREMIO” devoted to the synthesis of innovative materials and member of the Directive Board of INSTM. Since 2014 he is member of the Academic Board of the PhD in Chemistry of Pavia University. He is Editor of Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids.