Dr. Nestor Guijarro receives prestigious Ambizione Energy Grant

Ambizione Energy grants are aimed at young researchers who wish to conduct an independently planned basic research project in the field of energy. The project entitled “Novel interfacial characterization and surface engineering in semiconductor electrodes for optimized solar fuel production” focuses on the field of solar water splitting, wherein photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells directly convert sunlight into energy-rich compounds (solar fuels), such as hydrogen, at a cost-effective way. The urgency of the development of this technology is clearly reflected in the broad scientific community immersed in this field, especially in Switzerland (a flagship in this research at an international level) and the global initiatives looking for clean alternatives to the fossil fuels. Despite the great efforts on the development of PEC cells for a large-scale solar fuel synthesis the poor performance of the photoelectrodes, especially the low photovoltage, is severely limiting the overall solar-to-hydrogen conversion.

The project thus pursues to gain fundamental insights on the interfacial energetics and carried dynamics across the multijunction under operation, as they pertain the photovoltage, and use this knowledge as a platform to design more efficient photoelectrodes. The fundamental understanding would be accessed by using a recently reported technique based on a “dual-working-electrode” which afford to independently monitor/control current and potential in the semiconductor and the overlayer.