22 Jun Ivan Caño and Edoardo Maggi have participated in the 1st International Workshop on Emerging Inorganic Chalcogenides Photovoltaics

On 15-16 June 2022, Ivan Caño and Edoardo Maggi attended and participated in the 1st International Workshop on Emerging Inorganic Chalcogenides Photovoltaics, which took place in Tallinn, Estonia.

The workshop was organized in the frame of the COST Action ReNewPV network (Research and International Networking on Emerging Inorganic Chalcogenides for Photovoltaics), with funding from the COST agency (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). The host institution of the event was Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech).

The ReNewPV Workshop aimed at bringing together the members of the action, and researchers from all over the world who work on emerging inorganic chalcogenides and related thin-film photovoltaic technologies. The workshop was a unique event primarily focused on discussing the progress in the development of emerging inorganic materials, including Sb₂(S,Se)₃, Se, Bi₂S₃, lead-free chalcogenide perovskites (BaZrS₃), chalco-halides (SbSeI), and anti-perovskites (Ag₃SX).

Ivan Caño presented his work “Solution-based synthesis of anti-perovskite Ag₃SX (X=I,Br) chalco-halides for PV applications”, which introduced a new methodology to synthesize anti-perovskite materials by solution-processing routes at very low temperature. The presentation also included an extended characterization study of Ag₃S(I_xBr_1-x) solid solutions, demonstrating the formation of the anti-perovskite phase and bandgap values in the range of 0.9-1.0 eV, which makes these materials attractive for energy applications, such as PV and thermoelectricity. Also, DFT results developed by Pol Benítez and Dr. Claudi Cazorla were shown, giving more insight on the complex polymorphism of the anti-perovskite system, and its versatility in terms of tuneability.

Edoardo Maggi exhibited a poster entitled “BiSeI: New Van der Waals semiconductors for energy conversion applications”, presenting the first successful attempt to synthesize and explore BiSeI-based semiconductors by an innovative methodology involving co-evaporation of chalcogenides followed by high-pressure annealing under a BiI₃ atmosphere. He also presented photocatalytic activity of the BiSeI, showing that the H₂ production through ethanol dehydrogenation can be enhanced by the inclusion of BiSeI powders in a TiO₂ catalyst.

Ivan and Edoardo had the opportunity to attend the whole workshop, which included excellent presentations by experts in the emerging inorganic chalcogenides field. In particular, they want to highlight the presentations by Prof. Keith McKenna from University of York (which presented very interesting first-principle results on the grain boundary self-healing properties of Sb₂Se₃), Robert Krautmann from TalTech (selective orientation of Sb₂Se₃ thin films synthesized by closed space sublimation methodologies), Prof. Julien Bachmann from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (he presented very interesting new methodologies for the synthesis of nanolayers: solution-ALD and atomic layer additive manufacturing), Dr. Thomas Shalvey from Liverpool University (role of organic HTLs in Sb₂Se₃ thin films), and Sean Kavanagh (first-principle calculations study on the impact of defects in Se solar cells).

Edoardo and Ivan had a great time discussing and spending time with researchers and students attending the conference. In their free time, they visited the beautiful city of Tallinn and had the opportunity to hike in the Lahemaa National Park.

They would like to acknowledge the organizers of the workshop, and specially Prof. Nicolae Spalaty, for the opportunity to participate in the event and the excellent organization.