16.10.20 – Professor Michael Graetzel from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, receives this year’s Diels Planck Lecture Award of KiNSIS (Kiel Nano, Surface and Interface Science), a priority research area of Kiel University. The interdisciplinary research association thus honors his outstanding research in the field of photochemistry.

Prof. Graetzel is regarded as the inventor of a new type of efficient solar cell that can be manufactured particularly cost-effectively. This is the seventh time that KiNSIS has honored internationally renowned scientists in the nano and surface sciences for extraordinary research across the boundaries of disciplines. The award ceremony and a ceremonial address took place onSeptember 15, 2020 virtually as part of the online conference “27th Lecture Conference on Photochemistry” of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh).

The functionality of the so-called “Graetzel cell” mimics the natural process of photosynthesis in plants. The role of the natural dye chlorophyll is taken over by sensitizing artificial dye molecules: they transfer electrons to a network of nanoparticles of semiconductor oxides, which generates electrical energy. In contrast to conventional solar cells made of highly pure and expensive silicon, relatively inexpensive materials are used for the Graetzel cell. In their further development, the organic dyes have now been replaced by the material perovskite and the liquid electrolyte by organic semiconductors. Today, the so-called perovskite solar cells achieve an efficiency of more than 25% in converting sunlight into electricity and are thus characterized by both efficiency and stability.

“Graetzel’s solar cell represents one of the most promising approaches to the use of solar energy – it is not without reason that he has long been considered a candidate for a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. With over 1,600 scientific papers, which have been cited over 313,000 times to date, and a h-index of 250he is one of the most influential chemists in the world,” emphasized Rainer Herges, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the CAU and organizer of the conference, in his laudation. “We are delighted to honour Professor Michael Graetzel for his fundamental and pioneering work in energy research, one of the most important areas for society in the future. His work at the interface of chemistry, physics and materials science also reflects the importance of interdisciplinary research, which is a central principle of KiNSIS,” said the KiNSIS spokesperson Professor Jeffrey McCord.

At the GDCh conference, Graetzel gave the ceremonial address “Diels-Planck-Lecture” on his current research, being one of the highlights of the two-day event. Presentations from a total of eight countries reflected the breadth of current research in the field of photochemistry, including, for example, the highly topical research field of photopharmacology – a previously inactive substance is activated by light at the site of action, for example a tumor, in order to avoid side effects on healthy tissue. The conference is organized every two years by the Divison of Photochemistry of the GDCh. Originally it was planned to take place at the CAU in Kiel this year. Due to the current corona pandemic, however, it was held as an online format in order to still offer professional exchange opportunities, especially for young scientists.