New Helmholtz Young Investigator Group at HZB on perovskite solar cells
Silvia Mariotti aims to advance the development of multi-junction solar cells made from different perovskite layers. © arö/HZB
Silvia Mariotti starts building up the new Helmholtz Young Investigator Group ‘Perovskite-based multi-junction solar cells’. The perovskite expert, who was previously based at Okinawa University in Japan, aims to advance the development of multi-junction solar cells made from different perovskite layers.
‘My goal is to fabricate all-perovskite triple junction solar cells with efficiencies well above 30% and extrapolated stability of more than five years,’ says Silvia Mariotti. Perovskite-based triple junction solar cells are a relatively new area of research, with the current efficiency record standing at 28.7%. Mariotti’s first step is to develop molecularly engineered perovskite materials with tailor-made band gaps that are stable and resilient to multi-stacking processes. ‘Then, we will develop innovative deposition techniques that enable us to produce prototypes of bifacial and flexible all-perovskite triple junction solar cells,’ says the expert.
Silvia Mariotti holds a Master's degree in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Bologna and subsequently completed her PhD in physics on perovskite solar cells at the University of Liverpool. She then continued with postdoctoral positions at the University of Bordeaux, the University of Tokyo, HZB and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology in Japan.
‘HZB is an ideal environment for my research. Here, I have access to well-equipped laboratories, such as the Hysprint Lab, and a wide range of instruments for characterising multi-junction solar cells. And since exchange is crucial, here I can count on collaborating with several excellent research groups who are working on every aspect of perovskites. I am very much looking forward to inspiring discussions and to building my own team here,’ says Silvia Mariotti. She will also work closely with Humboldt University of Berlin.
Helmholtz Young Investigator Groups
A Helmholtz Young Investigators Group leadership position is awarded following a rigorous selection process. In addition to scientific excellence, international experience is required. Helmholtz Young Investigators Groups receive a total of at least 1.5 million euros in funding for five years and collaborate closely with a partner university. The programme offers reliable prospects for a scientific career: after a positive evaluation, a permanent position is offered.
- Does African Architecture exist?The world’s first Pan-African Architecture Biennale took place this September in Nairobi, Kenya. People from the worlds of architecture, art, academia and politics from 54 African countries and the diaspora had travelled to Nairobi to exchange ideas on traditional and contemporary building methods, materials, experiences and projects. Samira Aden co-organised this biennial as lead curator. We spoke to her about it.
- Nanosilver as an electrocatalyst for CO₂ reductionVia electrolysis, CO2 can be reduced to CO, a raw material for further chemical products such as fuels. Within the GreenQuest Project, an internation team led by HZB chemist Prashanth Menezes has now systematically investigated catalyst layers made of silver nanoparticles, varying both the size of the particles and their density. The best yield was achieved with nanoparticles with diameters of around 10 nm, which were loosely distributed. Furthermore, they demonstrated how the economic efficiency of the electrochemical cell can be enhanced by integrating an additional chemical reaction at the anode, enabling the simultaneous production of a valuable formic acid, hydrogen, and CO in one device.
- Marcel Risch has been appointed Professor at the Freie Universität BerlinMarcel Risch was appointed to a W2-S professorship in the Department of Physics at Freie Universität Berlin in August 2026. His research group has been transformed into the department 'Mechanisms of Sustainable Electrocatalysis'. Risch investigates the fundamental mechanisms of electrocatalytic reactions and, on this basis, develops knowledge- and data-driven strategies to improve electrocatalysts for the sustainable production of hydrogen, fuels and chemicals.