Michael Grätzel

Bio: Michael Grätzel is an academic researcher from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. The author has contributed to research in topics: Dye-sensitized solar cell & Perovskite (structure). The author has an hindex of 248, co-authored 1423 publications receiving 303599 citations. Previous affiliations of Michael Grätzel include University of California, Berkeley & Siemens Energy Sector.

Evolution of an Oxygen Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Transition in the Upper Hubbard Band in alpha-Fe2O3 upon Electrochemical Oxidation

Abstract: Electrochemical oxidation of hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) nanoparticulate films at 600 mV vs Ag+/AgCl in KOH electrolyte forms a species at the hematite surface which causes a new transition in the upper Hubbard band between the Fe(3d)-O(2p) state region and the Fe(4sp)-O(2p) region, as evidenced by oxygen near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra. The electrochemical origin of this transition suggests that it is related to a surface state. This transition, not previously observed for pristine alpha-Fe2O3, is at about the same X-ray energy as that of 196 Si-doped Si: Fe2O3. The occurrence of this state coincides with the onset of an oxidative dark current wave at around 535-mV a potential range where the tunneling exchange current has been previously reported to increase by 3 orders of magnitude with the valence band and the transfer coefficient by a factor of 10. Oxidation to only 200 mV does not form such an extra NE.XAFS feature, suggesting that a critical electrochemical potential between 200 and 600 mV is necessary to change the electronic structure of the iron oxide at the surface. A decrease of the surface roughness, as suggested by visual inspection, profilometry, and X-ray reflectivity, points to faceting as the potential structural origin of the surface state.

Photoinduced Interfacial Electron Injection Dynamics in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells under Photovoltaic Operating Conditions

Abstract: We report a pump-probe spectroscopy study of electron injection rates in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) devices. We examine the case of working devices employing an N719 ruthenium sensitizer and an iodide electrolyte. Electron injection is found to occur mainly on a sub-100 fs time scale, followed by a slower component with a lifetime of 26.9 ps, in accordance with previous reports on model samples. The amplitude of this latter component varies with electrolyte composition from 25 to 9%. The appearance of slower components in the electron injection dynamics may be attributed to an aggregated or weakly bound state of the surface-adsorbed N719 sensitizer. Further measurements are reported varying the cell light bias and load conditions, revealing no influence on electron injection dynamics. No other electron injection event is found to occur up to 1 ns. These results show no evidence for a slowdown of electron injection under working conditions compared to model systems for the electrolytes examined in this study.

Mesoporous TiO2 films: New catalytic electrode fabricating amperometric biosensors based on oxidases

Abstract: Reference LPI-ARTICLE-1997-022View record in Web of Science Record created on 2006-02-21, modified on 2017-05-12

Doping and phase segregation in Mn2+- and Co2+-doped lead halide perovskites from 133Cs and 1H NMR relaxation enhancement

Abstract: Lead halide perovskites belong to a broad class of compounds with appealing optoelectronic and photovoltaic properties. Doping with transition metal ions such as Mn2+ and Co2+ has recently been reported to substantially enhance luminescence and stability of these materials. However, so far atomic-level evidence for incorporation of the dopants into perovskite phases has been missing. Here, we introduce a general and straightforward method for confirming the substitutional doping of bulk perovskite phases with paramagnetic dopants. Using 133Cs and 1H solid-state MAS NMR relaxation measurements we provide for the first time direct evidence that, consistent with current understanding, Mn2+ is incorporated into the perovskite lattice of CsPbCl3 and CsPbBr3 and does not form clusters. We also show that, contrary to current conviction, Co2+ is not incorporated into the perovskite lattice of MAPbI3.

High Extinction Coefficient “Antenna” Dye in Solid-State Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: A Photophysical and Electronic Study

Abstract: We present a photophysical and device-based investigation of a new bipyridyl−NCS ruthenium complex sensitizer with an extended π system, in both sensitized TiO2 and incorporated into solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. We compare this new sensitizer to an analog dye without the extended π system. We observe very similar excited-state absorption spectra and charge recombination kinetics for the two systems. However, the π-extended senstizer has a phenomenally enhanced molar extinction coefficient which translates into far greater light harvesting and current collection in solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells. We also infer from transient photovoltage measurements that positioning the pendent extended π system away from the TiO2 surface has induced a favorable dipole shift, generating enhanced open-circuit voltage. The resulting power conversion efficiency for the solar cell has been increased from 2.4% to 3.2% when comparing the new sensitizer to an analogy with no pendent group.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

Fast parallel algorithms for short-range molecular dynamics

Abstract: Three parallel algorithms for classical molecular dynamics are presented. The first assigns each processor a fixed subset of atoms; the second assigns each a fixed subset of inter-atomic forces to compute; the third assigns each a fixed spatial region. The algorithms are suitable for molecular dynamics models which can be difficult to parallelize efficiently—those with short-range forces where the neighbors of each atom change rapidly. They can be implemented on any distributed-memory parallel machine which allows for message-passing of data between independently executing processors. The algorithms are tested on a standard Lennard-Jones benchmark problem for system sizes ranging from 500 to 100,000,000 atoms on several parallel supercomputers--the nCUBE 2, Intel iPSC/860 and Paragon, and Cray T3D. Comparing the results to the fastest reported vectorized Cray Y-MP and C90 algorithm shows that the current generation of parallel machines is competitive with conventional vector supercomputers even for small problems. For large problems, the spatial algorithm achieves parallel efficiencies of 90% and a 1840-node Intel Paragon performs up to 165 faster than a single Cray C9O processor. Trade-offs between the three algorithms and guidelines for adapting them to more complex molecular dynamics simulations are also discussed.

A low-cost, high-efficiency solar cell based on dye-sensitized colloidal TiO2 films

Abstract: THE large-scale use of photovoltaic devices for electricity generation is prohibitively expensive at present: generation from existing commercial devices costs about ten times more than conventional methods1. Here we describe a photovoltaic cell, created from low-to medium-purity materials through low-cost processes, which exhibits a commercially realistic energy-conversion efficiency. The device is based on a 10-µm-thick, optically transparent film of titanium dioxide particles a few nanometres in size, coated with a monolayer of a charge-transfer dye to sensitize the film for light harvesting. Because of the high surface area of the semiconductor film and the ideal spectral characteristics of the dye, the device harvests a high proportion of the incident solar energy flux (46%) and shows exceptionally high efficiencies for the conversion of incident photons to electrical current (more than 80%). The overall light-to-electric energy conversion yield is 7.1-7.9% in simulated solar light and 12% in diffuse daylight. The large current densities (greater than 12 mA cm-2) and exceptional stability (sustaining at least five million turnovers without decomposition), as well as the low cost, make practical applications feasible.

疟原虫var基因转换速率变化导致抗原变异[英]／Paul H, Robert P, Christodoulou Z, et al//Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Abstract: 抗原变异可使得多种致病微生物易于逃避宿主免疫应答。表达在感染红细胞表面的恶性疟原虫红细胞表面蛋白1（PfPMP1）与感染红细胞、内皮细胞、树突状细胞以及胎盘的单个或多个受体作用，在黏附及免疫逃避中起关键的作用。每个单倍体基因组var基因家族编码约60种成员，通过启动转录不同的var基因变异体为抗原变异提供了分子基础。

Environmental Applications of Semiconductor Photocatalysis

Abstract: The civilian, commercial, and defense sectors of most advanced industrialized nations are faced with a tremendous set of environmental problems related to the remediation of hazardous wastes, contaminated groundwaters, and the control of toxic air contaminants. For example, the slow pace of hazardous waste remediation at military installations around the world is causing a serious delay in conversion of many of these facilities to civilian uses. Over the last 10 years problems related to hazardous waste remediation have emerged as a high national and international priority.