A clean and sustainable energy supply presents one of the major challenges of our times. To provide a large scale availability of renewable energies in the future, a nanoscale understanding of relevant processes in energy generation is of upmost importance. Scanning probe microscopy has developed into a useful and versatile tool for nanoscale materials characterization and has in the recent years made tremendous contributions to energy-related research and development. This symposium will address recent advances, insights, and developments in the energy field, facilitated by scanning probe microscopy. Systems for energy harvesting and storage covered in this symposium will include photovoltaics, batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, thermoelectrics, piezoelectrics, etc. The symposium will bring together scientists working with and on scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods, including scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and its multitude of extended operation modes, e.g. Kelvin probe force microscopy, scanning capacitance microscopy, conductive force microscopy, etc. Nanoscale effects and phenomena related to optoelectronics, ionics, dynamic processes, doping and charge carrier concentrations, etc. that support the understanding and advances in energy applications are of interest. This symposium also aims at stimulating the development and spreading of new SPM methods for research on energy related materials and at providing a platform to enable cooperation and future projects.
- Photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, etc. at the nanoscale
- Nanoscale phenomena in energy storage devices (batteries, fuel cells, etc.)
- Dynamic processes in energy materials (photovoltaics, batteries, fuel cells, …)
- Advanced scanning probe microscopy methods
- Electrochemistry at the nanoscale
- Charge separation and transport phenomena
Dr. Sascha Sadewasser is a Research Group Leader at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), Portugal. The group works on energy materials, specifically for photovoltaics, batteries, and catalysis, covering advanced solar cell materials and devices implementing nano- and microstructures, thin-film solid-state batteries, and 2D chalcogenide materials. Additionally, scanning probe microscopy methods are developed and applied for the characterization of the optoelectronic nanostructure of energy materials.
Sascha Sadewasser holds a Diploma (1995) in Physics from the RWTH Aachen, Germany and a PhD (1999) from the Washington University St. Louis, MO, USA. After 2 post-docs in Berlin (Hahn-Meitner Institute) and Barcelona (Centro Nacional de Microelectrónica), he became group leader and later deputy department head at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Germany. After his Habilitation in Experimental Physics from the Free University of Berlin, Germany (2011) he joined INL in 2011, where he is currently co-Chair of the Research Board and member of the Executive Board. Sascha has published more than 140 peer-reviewed papers (incl. Nature series, Advanced Materials series, and Phys. Rev. Lett.), with about 4100+ citations (h-index 37). He has published 5 book chapters and 2 books and has been granted 3 patents. He has participated in and coordinated several European and international projects and is a member of several scientific committees and evaluation boards.
Benjamin Grévin is a graduate of the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG) and of the former University Joseph Fourier Grenoble I (University Grenoble Alpes, UGA). He received the Ph.D. degree in 1998 under the supervision of Dr. Y. Berthier. His doctoral work dealt with NMR investigations of high Tc superconductors and related cuprates. After a postdoctoral stay at the Condensed Matter Research Department of Geneva University in the group of Prof. Ø. Fisher, he joined in 2000 the UMR5819 joint research center (CEA-CNRS-UGA). He was awarded the bronze medal of CNRS in 2005 and obtained the accreditation to direct research (Habilitation à diriger les recherches, HdR) in 2006. His current research projects as CNRS Research Director deal with the development of advanced scanning probe microscopy techniques (nc-AFM/KPFM, time-resolved surface photo-voltage imaging), for local investigations of the opto-electronic properties of model organic (donor-acceptor BHJ and molecular self-assemblies), hybrid perovskites and 2D TMDC materials.
Thilo GlatzelProfessor Dr. Renate Hiesgen, born on 18.08.1958 in Germany, is Professor for Experimental Physics at the University of Applied Sciences, Department of Basic Science in Esslingen, Germany.
She studied Physics at the University of Münster and received her PhD with electron microscopy studies under the supervision of Prof. L. Reimer in 1989.
Her work on in-situ characterization of interfaces by scanning tunneling microscopy started at the Institute for Solar Energy Research in Hannover in 1998. After continued research with scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy at the Research Center Jülich GmbH and the Technical University Munich, she became Professor for Experimental Physics at the University of Applied Sciences Esslingen in 2000. Main topics of her group are characterization of materials and interfaces for energy applications. In addition to battery materials and semiconductors for solar energy conversion, a focus of her work in recent years has been the investigation of ionomers and electrodes for applications in fuel cells and electrolysis with material-sensitive and conductive studies. She has authored or coauthored more than 80 publications and was recipient of the f-cell award 2007 in the category research.
Philippe Leclère received a PhD in Physics from the University of Liège (Belgium) in 1994. He joined the group of Jean-Luc Brédas at the University of Mons in 1995 as a research fellow. From 2000 to 2004, he worked as research associate and served as research coordinator at the Materia Nova Research Center. During this period, he spent 4 months (in 1999) in the group of Jean-Pierre Aimé at the University of Bordeaux (France) and one year (2003) in the group of E.W. (Bert) Meijer at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands. In October 2004, he became Research Associate of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research (FRS - FNRS) in the group of Roberto Lazzaroni at the University of Mons. In October 2014, he became Senior Research Associate of the FRS - FNRS. Since 2003, he is still visiting scientist at the Institute of Complex Molecular Systems at TU/e. His research interests mostly deal with the characterization by means of scanning probe microscopy techniques of the morphology and the nanoscale mechanical, electrical properties of organic and hybrid supramolecular (nano)structures, build by self-assembly of functional (macro)molecules. He is (co)author of over 160 chapter books and papers in international peer-reviewed journals. Hirsch Factor : 38
Leite is an Associate Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at UC Davis. Her group investigates materials for energy harvesting and storage, from their nano-scale structural, electrical, and optical properties to their implementation in devices. Before joining UC Davis, Leite was an associate professor at the University of Maryland, she worked for two years at NIST and was a post-doctoral scholar at Caltech (Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science). She received her PhD in physics from Campinas State University in Brazil and the Synchrotron Light Source Laboratory. Leite's work has been recognized on the cover of ~30 scientific journals, by the presentation of >140 invited talks, by the 2016 APS Ovshinsky Sustainable Energy Fellowship from the American Physical Society (APS) and the 2014 Maryland Academy of Sciences Outstanding Young Scientist Award. Leite’s research has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Army Research Office (ARO), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), etc.
Anders MikkelsenChristian Teichert studied Physics in Halle, Germany; Ph.D. in 1992; 1992/93 Postdoc (Alexander von Humboldt fellowship) Research Center Juelich, Germany; 1993-1996 Postdoc UW Madison, U.S., 1996/97 Postdoc, Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Halle, Germany; 1997 Assistant Professor, University of Leoben, Austria, Head of Scanning Probe Microscopy Group Leoben; since 2001 Associate Professor, University of Leoben.
2002: Gaede Prize of the German Vacuum Society. 2014: reactivated fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Areas of expertise: Scanning Probe Microscopy based nanostructure research with focus on structure and electrical and mechanical properties of inorganic and organic semiconductors, two-dimensional materials, and cellulose based materials.
Organizer of several International Nanoscience Workshops and Symposia. Currently, he is the elected vice-chair of the Nanometer Structure Division of the International Union of Vacuum Science, Technology and Application (IUVSTA).
Stefan Weber (born 1981) studied Physics at the University of Konstanz. Already as an undergrad student he started to work with an SFM in the group of Prof. Leiderer. For his diploma thesis under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Johannes Boneberg he studied the interaction of gold nanoparticles with pulsed laser light. In 2007, he joined the group of Prof. Butt at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Reaearch (MPI-P), Mainz. During his PhD, he spent six months at Seoul National University, Korea, in the groups of Prof. K. Char and Prof. C. Lee. In 2010 he received a joint doctoral degree from Mainz University and SNU. In 2011 he went to University College Dublin as a Feodor Lynen Fellow (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation) to join Prof. Brian Rodriguez and Prof. Suzi Jarvis. In 2012 he became a group leader in the Physics of Interfaces group in the department of Prof. Hans-Jürgen Butt at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P), Mainz. From 2015 to 2023 he held a junior professor postition in the Physics department of Mainz University. Sind June 2023, he is a permament group leader at the Institute for Photovoltaics at University Stuttgart, where he heads the Nanoscale Microscopy and Characterization group. In 2024, he won an ERC Consolidator grant for the development of a Photovoltaic Microscope that combines nanoscale electrical imaging with high-resolution optical microscopy and ultrafast spectroscopy
Gunther Wittstock studied chemistry at the University of Leipzig and obtained a PhD in Analytical Chemistry. After stays at the University of Cincinnati (1992-1993) and at the Technical University of Munich, he prepared his habilitation at the Wilhelm-Ostwald-Institute of the University of Leipzig. In 2001 he became full professor of Physical Chemistry at the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg where he runs an electrochemistry group. His research interest is focused on localized interfacial charge transfer reaction which he investigates within a larger variety of application. This includes biomimetic interfaces, functional organic thin films on the basis of self-assembled monolayers, patterned organic thin films, organic-inorganic functional materials, nanoparticle assemblies at interfaces, localized electrocatalytic reactions in particular oxygen reduction reaction in different media. Recently, there has been a particular emphasis on molecular reaction in energy conversion systems. He uses scanning electrochemical microscopy which is complemented by surface spectroscopies and other microscopic techniques. Among others, his achievements have been recognized by a grant of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Klaus Jürgen Vetter Award of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE). Currently he is a member of the Executive Council and Treasurer of ISE.