What possibilities do photovoltaics, fuel-cells and batteries offer for the growing energy needs our society? What are the limitations of these technologies? These and other questions will be discussed by renowned solid-state physicist Fritz Prinz in his TopThink lecture at TU Graz on Wednesday, 22 June. Prinz will focus on the atomic level and, on the basis of his research at Stanford University, the advantages of structures at the atomic scale for converting and storing energy.
Prototypes and model calculations
In his laboratory, Prinz and his team produce Prototypes of next generation fuel cells, storage capacitors and batteries. To do this, they rely on various nanofabrication technologies and use atomic layer deposition, scanning tunnelling microscopy, impedance spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy to test new concepts and novel material structures. As a supplement to this, the group led by Fritz Prinz carries out model calculations at the atomic scale to gain insights into the mechanisms of charge separation and recombination processes.
Fritz Prinz
Challenges for energy conversion and decarbonisation
Date: Wednesday, 22 June 2016, 6 - 7.30 pm
Place: Hall of TU Graz, Rechbauerstraße 12, 1st floor, 8010 Graz
Language: German
Please register under topthink@tugraz.at
About Fritz Prinz
Born in Vienna, Fritz Prinz holds the Finmeccanica Chair at the School of Engineering at Stanford University. He is Professor of Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering as well as Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy. Furthermore, Prinz is Director of the Nanoscale Prototyping Laboratory and Co-Director of Stanford Energy 3.0. Originally trained as a solid-state physicist, Prinz leads a group of doctoral students, postdocs and guest scientists to work on on fundamental issues of energy conversion and storage at the atomic level.
