Michael Saliba Can the Perovskite Semiconductor Provide Sufficient Sustainable Energy in the Near Future?

Michael Saliba is a group leader at the Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He was a Marie Curie Fellow at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland. He holds a DPhil in Physics from the University of Oxford where he worked in the Photovoltaic and Optoelectronics Group. In 2017, he was named among the World's ‘35 Innovators under 35’ by the MIT Technology Review, ‘Young Elite – 40 under 40‘ by the Capital Magazine, received the Réné Wassermann Prize from the EPFL, the Postdoctoral Award of the Material Research Society and the Science Award from Fraunhofer UMSICHT. He was also awarded the Young Scientist Award 2016 from the German University Association.

Area of Research

Physics, Chemistry, Material Science, Novel Materials, Sustainability

J.-P. Correa-Baena, M. Saliba, T. Buonassisi, M. Grätzel, A. Abate, W. Tress and a. Hagfeldt. "Promises and Challenges of Perovskite Solar Cells." Science 358, 6364 (2017). doi:doi.org/10.1126/science.aam6323.  
S. Gholipour, A. M. Ali, J.-P. Correa-Baena, S.-H. Turren-Cruz, F. Tajabadi, W. Tress, N. Taghavinia, M. Grätzel, A. Abate, F. De Angelis, C. A. Gaggioli, E. Mosconi, a. Hagfeldt et al. "Globularity-selected Large Molecules for a New Generation of Multication Perovskites." Advanced Materials 29, 38 (2017). doi:doi.org/10.1002/adma.201702005.  
M. Saliba, J.-P. Correa-Baena, M. Grätzel, a. Hagfeldt and A. Abate. "Perovskite Solar Cells From the Atomic to the Film Level." Angewandte Chemie (2017). doi:doi.org/10.1002/anie.201703226.  
D. P. McMeekin, G. Sadoughi, W. Rehman, G. E. Eperon, M. Saliba, M. T. Hörantner, A. Haghighirad, N. Sakai, L. Korte, B. Rech, M. B. Johnston, L. M. Herz and H. J. Snaith. "A Mixed-Cation Lead Mixed-Halide Perovskite Absorber for Tandem Solar Cells." Science 351, 6269 (2016). doi:doi.org/10.1126/science.aad5845.  
Saliba M., S. M. Wood, J. B. Patel, P. K. Nayak, J. Huang, J. A. Alexander-Webber, B. Wenger, S. D. Stranks, M. T. Hörantner, J. T.-W. Wang, R. J. Nicholas, L. M. Herz, M. B. Johnston et al. "Structured Organic-inorganic Perovskite for a Distributed Feedback Laser." Advanced Materials 28, 5 (2015).  
M. Saliba, W. Zhang, S. D. Stranks, Y. Sun, J. M. Ball, M. B. Johnston, U. Wiesner and H. J. Snaith. "Plasmonic‐Induced Photon Recycling in Metal Halide Perovskite Solar Cells." Advanced Functional Materials 25, 31 (2015). doi:10.1002/adfm.201500669.  
M. Hentschel, M. Saliba, R. Vogelgesang, H. Giessen, A. P. Alivisatos and N. Liu. "Transition from Isolated to Collective Modes in Plasmonic Oligomers." Nano Letters 10, 7 (2010). doi:doi.org/10.1021/nl101938p.  

since 2018

Group Leader

University of Fribourg (Université de Fribourg) (more details)

Adolphe Merkle Institute

2015-2017

Marie Curie Fellow

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces

2015-2017

Postgraduate Supervisor

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

2013

Graduate Supervisor

University of Oxford

Department of Physics

2012

Laboratory Demonstrator

University of Oxford

Department of Physics

2005-2009

Teaching Assistant in Mathematics and Physics

University of Stuttgart (Universität Stuttgart)

2014

DPhil

University of Oxford

Department of Physics

2009

Diploma in Physics (In Conjunction with Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research)

University of Stuttgart (Universität Stuttgart)

Department of Physics

- German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (DHV)

- German Physical Society (DPG)

Prizes

- 35 Innovators under 35, MIT Technology Review (2017)

- Postdoctoral Award of the Material Research Society (2017)

- Réné Wasserman Prize, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) (2017)

- Young Elite - 40 under 40, Capital Magazine (2017)

- Science Award of Fraunhofer UMSICHT (2017)

- "Young Researcher of the Year, Academics Career Portal for Research and Science of ZEIT and the German Association of University Professors and Lecturers (2016)"

- Best Talk Award by Nature Energy at the 2nd International Conference of Perovskite Solar Cells and Optoelectronics (2016)

- Dean's Special Prize (Prime Spéciale du Doyen), EPFL (2015)

Fellowships

- Leadership Academy of the German Scholars Organization (2017-2018)

- Marie Curie Fellowship (2015-2017)

- Light Senior Scholar, St Catherine’s College, Oxford (2012-2013)

© Rainer Sohlbank

Adolphe Merkle Institute

Fribourg, Switzerland

The Adolphe Merkle Institute (AMI) is an interdisciplinary center of competence in soft nano- and materials science at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). AMI strives to be a leader in fundamental and application-oriented interdisciplinary research on soft nanoscience. In recent years, the Institute has also established itself as an internationally recognized leader in the field of “bio-inspired materials”, notably by initiating and leading a National Competence Center in Research. The Institute is the result of a unique and successful private-public partnership. In late 2007, Fribourg entrepreneur Adolphe Merkle, then 83 years old, set up the Adolphe Merkle Foundation and donated CHF 100 million to support the University of Fribourg. One of the conditions of his donation, the most generous of its kind ever made in Switzerland at the time, was the creation of the Institute with the canton’s (state) financial backing. Since its launch in late 2008, AMI has steadily increased in size, with currently around 100 people from over 20 countries working at the Institute. AMI’s four complementary chairs (Polymer Chemistry and Materials, BioNanomaterials, Soft Matter Physics, and BioPhysics), along with a junior group (Macromolecular Chemistry), are staffed by leading researchers in their field. (Source)

Map

One hour of sunlight is enough to power the entire planet for over a year. MICHAEL SALIBA is a leading scientist who investigates how we can tap into this abundant energy source in order to produce sustainable electricity in the future. As he explains in this video, the perovskite semiconductor – a new material that was discovered about five years ago – has great potential to advance the use of solar energy. The material also poses problems, however, as it is sensitive to humidity, heat, and light. His research team has found a way to tackle these challenges by creating a new composition that proves more stable and by adding a polymeric protective layer. In this stabilized form, the perovskite semiconductor offers tremendous opportunities to be used as a solar cell by industry.

LT Video Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB10504

Cesium-Containing Triple Cation Perovskite Solar Cells: Improved Stability, Reproducibility and High Efficiency

  • Michael Saliba, Taisuke Matsui, Ji-Youn Seo, Konrad Domanski, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Shaik M Zakeeruddin, Wolfgang Tress, Antonio Abate, Anders Hagfeldt and Michael Grätzel
  • Energy & Environmental Science
  • Published in 2016
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Michael Saliba, Taisuke Matsui, Ji-Youn Seo, Konrad Domanski, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Shaik M Zakeeruddin, Wolfgang Tress, Antonio Abate, Anders Hagfeldt and Michael Grätzel. "Cesium-Containing Triple Cation Perovskite Solar Cells: Improved Stability, Reproducibility and High Efficiency." Energy & Environmental Science 9 (2016): 1989–1997.

A Molecularly Engineered Hole-transporting Material for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

  • Michael Saliba, Simonetta Orlandi, Taisuke Matsui, Sadig Aghazada, Marco Cavazzini, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, Peng Gao, Rosario Scopelliti and et. al
  • Nature Energy
  • Published in 2016
Michael Saliba, Simonetta Orlandi, Taisuke Matsui, Sadig Aghazada, Marco Cavazzini, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, Peng Gao, Rosario Scopelliti and et. al. "A Molecularly Engineered Hole-transporting Material for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells." Nature Energy 1 (2016): No. 15017. doi:doi:10.1038/nenergy.2015.17.

Incorporation of Rubidium Cations Into Perovskite Solar Cells Improves Photovoltaic Performance

  • Michael Saliba, Taisuke Matsui, Konrad Domanski, Ji-Youn Seo, Amita Ummadisingu, Shaik M Zakeeruddin, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, Wolfgang R Tress, Antonio Abate, Anders Hagfeldt and Michael Grätzel
  • Science
  • Published in 2016
Get Full Access
Michael Saliba, Taisuke Matsui, Konrad Domanski, Ji-Youn Seo, Amita Ummadisingu, Shaik M Zakeeruddin, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena, Wolfgang R Tress, Antonio Abate, Anders Hagfeldt and Michael Grätzel. "Incorporation of Rubidium Cations Into Perovskite Solar Cells Improves Photovoltaic Performance." Science 354, 6309 (2016): 206–209.