Emergent Energy Materials

6 EC

Semester 1, period 1

5354EMEM6Y

Owner Master Physics and Astronomy (joint degree)
Coordinator prof. dr. T. Gregorkiewicz
Part of Master Physics and Astronomy, track Advanced Matter and Energy Physics, year 1Master Physics and Astronomy, track Science for Energy and Sustainability, year 1Master Chemistry (joint degree), track Science for Energy and Sustainability, year 1

Course manual 2017/2018

Course content

The course comprises three blocks, matching each of the thematic modules introduced above.

  • Materials for nanophotovoltaics For very fundamental reasons (natural abundance, nontoxicity, suitable band structure) silicon is presently the most important photovoltaic material. New opportunities are offered by dedicated material engineering of Si nanostructures.
  • Inorganic materials for solar water splitting Most renewable energy sources are intermittent. Storage of energy in fuels is therefore important. Inorganic semiconductor nano-crystals when exposed to sunlight are able to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
  • Organic and hybrid photovoltaics. Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of sunlight into electrical energy. Solution processed organic and nanostructured semiconductors allow enormous potential for new flexible and large scale energy production technologies.

Study materials

Literature

  • Will be announced.

Objectives

The aim of this course is to acquaint the students with the physics underlying the topical research into emergent energy materials taking place in Amsterdam laboratories of UvA and VU. Emergent energy materials are solid state materials systems under development for use in the sustainable generation or conversion of energy and systems under discussion as a materials platform for future energy-saving, low-power solutions.
After following this course, the students will be he students are able to make links from standard BSc lecture material in solid state physics - such as semiconductor physics - to the cutting edge research being carried out in the following three themes, each of which will be treated as a module within the EEM course:
- silicon-based nanophotovoltaics
- inorganic materials for hydrolysis (water-splitting) using sunlight
- organic- and hybrid-based photovoltaics
On the other hand, the course also aims to provide the participants with a grounding in the current research state-of-the-art in these fields, and to introduce the student to the relevant primary scientific literature, its discussion and critique.

Teaching methods

  • Lecture
  • Presentation/symposium

Introductory lectures for each module.
Workshop-style student presentations dealing with research articles.

Learning activities

Activity

Number of hours

Zelfstudie

168

Attendance

Requirements concerning attendance (OER-B).

  • In addition to, or instead of, classes in the form of lectures, the elements of the master’s examination programme often include a practical component as defined in article 1.2 of part A. The course catalogue contains information on the types of classes in each part of the programme. Attendance during practical components is mandatory.

    • Assessment

    Item and weight Details Remarks

    Final grade

    50%

    Presentaties

    		Gemiddelde score 3 docenten

    50%

    Take-home exam

    Assignments

    presentations

    • Prepared and presented by a group of 3 students: 3 times for 3 teachers 

    take-home exam

    • To be completed individually within the given deadline

    Fraud and plagiarism

    The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

    Course structure

     

    Date Lecturer Subject
    Sept 4     Tom       Info/Energy & new mat challenge
    Sept 4 Tom PV & PV materials: problems and solutions
    Sept 7 Tom Why Si PV? Si as PV material What next?
    Sept 11 Tom Nanophotonics
    Sept 11 Tom Nanocrystals + students
    Sept 14 Tom Spectroscopy Si nanocrystals + students
    Sept 18 Tom Si NC for PV + students 
    Sept 18      Rinke Intro Solar Fuels, Overview VU-Energy Research
    Sept 21 Rinke Electrochemical cells 1
    Sept 25 Rinke Electrochemical cells 2
    Sept 25 Rinke Photo-electrochemical cells
    Sept 28        Rinke Photo-electrochemical cells + Students
    Oct 2 Rinke Graetzel cell + Catalysis + Students
    Oct 2 Elizabeth            Basics of organic semiconductors I (motivation)
    Oct 5 Rinke Electrochemical measurements + Students
    Oct 9 Elizabeth          Basics of organic semiconductors II (properties)
    Oct 9 Elizabeth Organic photovoltaics I (working principles)
    Oct 12 Elizabeth Organic photovoltaics II (state of the art)
    Oct 16 Elizabeth Organic-Inorganic hybrid PV I (materials)
    Oct 16 Elizabeth Organic-Inorganic hybrid PV II (principles)
    Oct 19 Elizabeth Device characterization (Impedance, IMPS)

    Timetable

    The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

    Contact information

    Coordinator

    • prof. dr. T. Gregorkiewicz