Zeno Karl Schindler Award 2021 – Jovana Milic

For her pioneering research on molecular modulators that greatly improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells.

The increasing energy demands stimulate intense research efforts to provide sustainable solutions. Towards this goal, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite materials have shown remarkable performances in the renewable solar-to-electric energy conversion in photovoltaics, yet their limited stability under operating conditions hampers practical applications. This is particularly caused by the instability against the external environmental factors, such as oxygen and moisture, as well as internal ion migration that is accelerated during device operation upon exposure to voltage bias and light. The research led by Dr. Jovana V. Milić in the group of Prof. Michael Grätzel at EPFL has uniquely contributed to the development of unprecedented supramolecular strategies for stabilizing hybrid perovskite materials as well as their photovoltaic devices by increasing their resilience to the environmental factors and ion migration. Specifically, this innovative approach relies on the concepts of supramolecular chemistry through tailoring various noncovalent interactions with hybrid perovskites, such as by developing molecularly modulated hybrid perovskites and their layered architectures. This has resulted in the enhanced stabilities of hybrid perovskite materials and their photovoltaic devices. These research advancements in the field of photovoltaics could greatly contribute to the realization of sustainable development goals, while enabling smarter energyharvesting technologies in the future.