On 16 May 2022, HZB received a delegation from the Brazilian Ministry of Research, Technology, and Innovation.
© K. Fuchs / HZB
A high-ranking Brazilian delegation visited HZB
© K. Fuchs / HZB
© K. Fuchs / HZB
© K. Fuchs / HZB
© K. Fuchs / HZB
© K. Fuchs / HZB
© K. Fuchs / HZB
© K. Fuchs / HZB
© K. Fuchs / HZB
On 16 May 2022, HZB received a delegation from the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). Vice-Minister of Science Sergio Freitas de Almeida was visibly impressed by the many research activities being done at HZB to drive the transition to a climate-neutral energy supply in society forward.
The delegation visited HZB in advance of the 9th German–Brazilian Dialogue on Science, taking place from 17 to 20 May 2022 in Berlin. Vice-Minister Sergio Freitas de Almeida was accompanied by State Secretaries José Gontijo (Entrepreneurship and Innovation) and Marcelo Morales (Research and Scientific Training) along with other government representatives.
The delegation toured the X-ray source BESSY II which, of course, is also available to Brazilian researchers. The energy research laboratory EMIL and the new research platform for catalysis research CatLab were also on the tour programme. New catalysts are a key component for producing green hydrogen efficiently and cost-effectively, as well as alternative, sustainable fuels and green raw materials for the chemical industry. The interest of the Brazilian delegation in the development of hydrogen technologies was very high. They were also very interested in cooperation between their light source SIRIUS in Campinas (Sao Paolo) and BESSY II in Berlin.
The discussions with representatives of the Brazilian government inspired all participants to strengthen cooperation in the area of research.
- Long-term stability for perovskite solar cells: a big step forwardPerovskite solar cells are inexpensive to produce and generate a high amount of electric power per surface area. However, they are not yet stable enough, losing efficiency more rapidly than the silicon market standard. Now, an international team led by Prof. Dr. Antonio Abate has dramatically increased their stability by applying a novel coating to the interface between the surface of the perovskite and the top contact layer. This has even boosted efficiency to almost 27%, which represents the state-of-the-art. After 1,200 hours of continuous operation under standard illumination, no decrease in efficiency was observed. The study involved research teams from China, Italy, Switzerland and Germany and has been published in Nature Photonics.
- Electrocatalysis with dual functionality – an overviewHybrid electrocatalysts can produce green hydrogen, for example, and valuable organic compounds simultaneously. This promises economically viable applications. However, the complex catalytic reactions involved in producing organic compounds are not yet fully understood. Modern X-ray methods at synchrotron sources such as BESSY II, enable catalyst materials and the reactions occurring on their surfaces to be analysed in real time, in situ and under real operating conditions. This provides insights that can be used for targeted optimisation. A team has now published an overview of the current state of knowledge in Nature Reviews Chemistry.
- BESSY II: Phosphorus chains – a 1D material with 1D electronic propertiesFor the first time, a team at BESSY II has succeeded in demonstrating the one-dimensional electronic properties in phosphorus. The samples consisted of short chains of phosphorus atoms that self-organise at specific angles on a silver substrate. Through sophisticated analysis, the team was able to disentangle the contributions of these differently aligned chains. This revealed that the electronic properties of each chain are indeed one-dimensional. Calculations predict an exciting phase transition to be expected as soon as these chains are more closely packed. While material consisting of individual chains with longer distances is semiconducting, a very dense chain structure would be metallic.