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.

Dopant-Free Hole-Transporting Polymers for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Abstract: A series of novel polymers (P1–P6) derived from the combination of different units (including thiophene, triarylamine, and spirobifluorene) were successfully synthesized, completely characterized, and used as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Solar cells with some of these materials as HTMs showed very good performances of almost 13% (12.75% for P4 and 12.38% for P6) even without additives, and devices based on these new HTMs show relatively improved stability against temperature compared to those based on PTAA. The presence of dopant additives has been linked to long-term degradation, which is the main barrier to the large-scale commercialization of this innovative type of solar cell. Obtaining efficient PSCs without using dopants could represent a further step toward improvement of long-term stability and thus their introduction into the market.

Formation of an electron hole doped film in the α-Fe2O3 photoanode upon electrochemical oxidation

Abstract: Solar hydrogen generation by water splitting in photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) is an appealing technology for a future hydrogen economy. Hematite is a prospective photoanode material in this respect because of its visible light conjugated band gap, its corrosion stability, its environmentally benign nature and its low cost. Its bulk and surface electronic structure has been under scrutiny for many decades and is considered critical for improvement of efficiency. In the present study, hematite films of nominally 500 nm thickness were obtained by dip-coating on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass slides and then anodised in 1 molar KOH at 500, 600, and 700 mV for 1, 10, 120 and 1440 minutes under dark conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectra recorded at the Fe 3p resonant absorption threshold show that the eg transition before the Fermi energy, which is well developed in the pristine hematite film, becomes depleted upon anodisation. The spectral weight of the eg peak decreases with the square-root of the anodisation time, pointing to a diffusion controlled process. The speed of this process increases with the anodisation potential, pointing to Arrhenius behaviour. Concomitantly, the weakly developed t2g peak intensity becomes enhanced in the same manner. This suggests that the surface of the photoanode contains Fe2+ species which become oxidized toward Fe3+ during anodisation. The kinetic behaviour derived from the experimental data suggests that the anodisation forms an electron hole doped film on and below the hematite surface.

A dendritic oligothiophene ruthenium sensitizer for stable dye-sensitized solar cells.

Abstract: We report a new type of dendritic terthiophene attached to a 2,2'-bipyridine ligand for ruthenium-based dye-sensitized solar cells. As a result of the incorporation of this electron-rich terthiophene donor unit into the heteroleptic ruthenium sensitizer [Ru(dcbpy)(3Tbpy)(NCS)(2)] (3T), the lowest-energy metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) transition is red-shifted and the molar extinction coefficient is increased compared to the analogous standard Z907Na sensitizer. A preliminary investigation of the 3T dye in combination with an iodine/iodide-based electrolyte shows an interesting photovoltaic performance, with a maximum power conversion efficiency of 7.4 % measured under air mass 1.5 global sunlight irradiation. Accelerated testing of these devices at 60 degrees C under full sunlight soaking shows a remarkable stability over 1000 h.

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.