Symposium EE2-Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems

Converting sunlight directly into chemical energy in a transportable fuel is an elegant and practical method to address both energy storage and distribution challenges the world is facing. Current technologies for solar fuels generation have significant challenges in efficiency, durability and cost. Photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells remain an intriguing technology with great potential for solar fuel generation, by exploring semiconductors with good light absorption and good electrocatalystic properties. In PEC hydrogen production, for instance, the desired semiconductor would have to be simultaneously efficient in converting sun light into charge carriers, be a good catalyst toward the chemical reactions of interest, be durable in operation and inexpensive to manufacture. Lack of suitable materials that can perform the energy-conversion process efficiently remains the biggest issue. To meet the challenge, deep understanding in both materials’ solid-state characteristics and semiconductor/electrolyte interface (SEI) properties is crucial for revolutionary development of novel materials, devices and systems.

This symposium provides an international and interdisciplinary forum to present and discuss the latest research and prospective R&D activities on solar fuels generation. The program will address latest advances in fundamental understanding of materials and photocatalysts, kinetics at SEI, development of electrode assemblies and heterostructures, latest architectures of devices and systems, achievements and performances in semiconductor nanostructures, modeling and simulation, as well as advanced characterization techniques. The goal of such multidisciplinary efforts is to engineer materials architectures with tunable photophysical and electrocatalytic properties capable of converting solar energy to chemical energy with high performance under extended operation. This symposium brings together top leaders in science and technology, interested newcomers and world-wide experts; and it would further expand the interest and progress in this area.

• Modeling and simulation of semiconductors and interfaces
• Advanced materials and photo-catalysts for solar fuels generation and CO₂ reduction via PEC process
• Bioinspired materials and Nano-bio hybrid systems for solar fuels conversion
• Materials architecture and heterostructure design, nanostructuring, bandgap engineering, quantum confinement, and plasmonic effects
• Charge transfer and reaction kinetics at electrode/electrolyte interfaces
• Synthesis and diagnostic techniques, operando and in situ analysis for activated materials and interfaces
• Fundamental and comprehensive understanding of the relationship between synthesis, structure and property
• Long term aqueous stability, corrosion and photo-corrosion of semiconductors
• Novel systems and devices, and apparatus for solar fuels generation
• Solar fuels generation via solar thermal(chemical) and photo-biological systems
• National and international solar fuel energy systems, projects, and networks

• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _0 (Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _1 (University of California, Irvine, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _2 (Arizona State University, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _3 (Xiamen University, China)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _4 (The University of Tokyo, Japan)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _5 (Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _6 (Newcastle University, United Kingdom)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _7 (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _8 (Princeton University, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _9 (National Taiwan University, Taiwan)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _10 (University of Cologne, Germany)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _11 (McGill University, Canada)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _12 (U.S. Department of Energy, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _13 (Toyota Central R&D Laboratories, Japan)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _14 (University of California, Davis, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _15 (Argonne National Laboratory, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _16 (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _17 (Warsaw Univesity, Poland)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _18 (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _19 (Helmholtz Center - Berlin, Germany)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _20 (Xi'an Jiaotong University, China)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _21 (Boston College, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _22 (West Virginia University, USA)
• EE2_Advancements in Solar Fuels Generation—Materials, Devices and Systems _23 (Nanjing University, China)