Join us for another inspiring network event!

Our first two KIF Network events were a great success! Physicists from Aarhus, Copenhagen, Sønderborg, Lyngby and several other cities got together, shared their stories, and got to know each other. We wish to build on this momentum to continue expanding and strengthening our professional network of physicists in academia and the private industry across Denmark – and you are therefore invited to another event!

Once again, we will facilitate network in small breakout rooms, where you will get a chance to meet other physicists. This will be followed by a short science presentation.

The invited speaker for this event is Vida Engmann, who is an Assistant Professor in nanotechnology at the Mads Clausen Institute, University of Southern Denmark in Sønderborg. Her field of research is organic solar cells. After the presentation, you will have a chance to ask questions.

Description:

Organic solar cells are devices that convert sunlight into electricity. Organic means that they are composed of organic materials, that is, chemical compounds that consist of C atoms as the main building blocks. They are the renewable source of energy with the lowest CO2 footprint and the lowest energy payback time. As compared to the conventional silicon solar cells, their advantage is that they can be made very thin and on flexible substrates, applied to curved surfaces. They can also come in a wide range of colors and shapes and are easily processable via roll-to-roll equipment for mass production. At the moment, their efficiency (18 %) is cutting close to the conventional silicon cells, and the main problem with them is their stability. Organic materials easily degrade when exposed to air, light, heat, which causes their efficiency to drop. To prevent that, I am working on stabilizing the active layer, as this is the essential and the most unstable part. In my research, I have developed a method to stabilize these layers by blending special chemical compounds. These compounds go in the active layer and protect the cells from oxidation. Popularly said, a bit like the creams with UV blocking and antioxidants prevent your skin from getting wrinkles and burned while you’re suntanning.

Location: zoom (link will be sent to registered participants)

Date: Wednesday, April 14th, 2021

Time: 19:30-21:00

Participation is free, but registration is necessary. Sign up here: