Appointment to University of Florida
After two years of postdoctoral research at HZB, Dr. Charles Hages has received an appointment as Assistant Professor at the University of Florida. © Privat
Dr. Charles Hages has received an appointment as Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida. Hages has been a postdoctoral researcher at HZB in the Department of Structure and Dynamics of Energy Materials for two years. At University of Florida, Hages will advance his work in developing energy materials and looks forward to continued collaborations with his HZB colleagues.
Prior to coming to HZB, Charles (Chuck) Hages pursed his doctoral degree at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, working in nanoparticle/solution-based photovoltaics. During this time Hages worked with many HZB researchers as part of an international research effort to develop earth-abundant photovoltaic materials. Following his Ph.D. work, Hages joined HZB as a postdoc to learn and contribute to state-of-the-art semiconductor characterization work being done in the group of Dr. Thomas Unold.
“Thomas has been a valuable mentor for many years – I look forward to many more discussions and collaborations in the future,” says Hages. As a chemical engineering faculty, Hages will specialize in various synthesis processes and characterization techniques for novel semiconductor-based energy materials, from solar cells and light-emitting diodes to supercapacitors, thermoelectric materials, and electrodes for chemical energy storage, for example.
Hages is now looking forward to new challenges, including teaching, where he will initially develop a course on electron transport for chemical engineers. What is he taking with him from his time at the HZB? “I enjoy the honesty and openness of our scientific discussions and debates. Also our group cohesion of meeting regularly, not only for meetings or weekly seminar, but also for coffee, daily lunch, and after work. I'd like to keep it that way in my new group.”
- Bright prospects for tin perovskite solar cellsPerovskite solar cells are widely regarded as the next generation photovoltaic technology. However, they are not yet stable enough in the long term for widespread commercial use. One reason for this is migrating ions, which cause degradation of the semiconducting material over time. A team from HZB and the University of Potsdam has now investigated the ion density in four different, widely used perovskite compounds and discovered significant differences. Tin perovskite semiconductors produced with an alternative solvent had a particular low ion density — only one tenth that of lead perovskite semiconductors. This suggests that tin-based perovskites could be used to make solar cells that are not only really environmentally friendly but also very stable.
- Joint Kyiv Energy and Climate Lab goes liveHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy established on 27 November a Joint Energy and Climate Lab.
- How carbonates influence CO2-to-fuel conversionResearchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI) have uncovered how carbonate molecules affect the conversion of CO2 into valuable fuels on gold electrocatalysts. Their findings reveal key molecular mechanisms in CO2 electrocatalysis and hydrogen evolution, pointing to new strategies for improving energy efficiency and reaction selectivity.