Metal halide perovskites have emerged as high-performance materials for optoelectronic and photonic applications, yet translating laboratory-scale synthesis into stable device operation remains a major challenge. This symposium will bring together researchers working across materials synthesis, theory and modelling, and device engineering to understand how compositional design, crystallization pathways, and processing conditions determine optical and electrical properties. Particular emphasis will be placed on the kinetic and thermodynamic factors governing phase formation, defect landscapes, charge transport, and degradation under operational stress. Theory and modelling, including density functional theory and multiscale approaches, will be addressed as essential tools to interpret experimental observations, identify stability limitations, and guide the rational design of improved materials and interfaces. Contributions covering thin-film processing, interface engineering, device architectures, and operational stability are encouraged. By integrating synthesis, modelling, and device implementation, the symposium aims to advance predictive strategies for stable, high-performance optoelectronic and photonic technologies.
- Materials synthesis, processing and crystallization
- Optical and electronic properties
- Theory and modelling
- Interfaces, stability and optoelectronic and photonic devices
Rafael Abargues is a Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Valencia (ICMUV) specializing in the design and scalable synthesis of functional nanomaterials for energy and optoelectronic technologies. He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg (Germany), conducting his doctoral research at Infineon Technologies AG (SIEMENS group) on conductive polymers for electron-beam lithography.
His career uniquely combines academic research and industrial innovation. In 2009, he co-founded the nanotechnology spin-off Intenanomat S.L., where he served as R&D Director and later CEO, leading the development and commercialization of nanomaterials for biotechnology, optoelectronics, catalysis, and renewable energy.
After returning to academia through a Ramón y Cajal fellowship (2017), he established an independent research group at the Materials Science Institute (ICMUV) focused on advanced nanomaterials for energy conversion and optoelectronic devices. His research particularly addresses the controlled synthesis and integration of metal-halide perovskites, metal oxides, and conducting polymers for next-generation photovoltaics, LEDs, and catalytic systems, with strong emphasis on scalable fabrication and technology transfer.
He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and 17 patents (two currently licensed). As Principal Investigator, he currently leads multiple national and European research projects and coordinates industrial collaborations to develop materials for electrolyzer manufacturing and hydrogen technologies.
Through his work, Abargues aims to bridge fundamental materials chemistry with industrial deployment, accelerating the development of sustainable energy technologies.
Maurizia Palummo (MP) is Associate professor of Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics at the University or Rome “Tor Vergata”. The main focus of her research is on the ab-initio study of the opto-electronic properties of surfaces, organic compounds, semiconducting nanowires, novel 2D materials and perovskites. She is member of the ETSF (www.etsf.eu) and of the Developers & superusers team of Yambo code (www.yambo-code.org). Author of more than 100 articles in international peer-reviewed journals, several book chapters and review articles. She gave several invited talks at National/international conferences/workshops and schools. In the last years she has been visiting scientist at MIT, Caltech, Tokyo University and CNRS-Orsay. More info at http://people.fisica.uniroma2.it/~palummo/