| Project Detail |
In response to recent climate tragedies, European Union (EU) is taking rapid action with its ambitious European Green Deal (EGD) to transform our economies and societies greener. As a result, the EU is encouraging the transformation of our buildings and vehicles from energy consumers to energy producers by installing lightweight, flexible, transparent, low-cost, high-efficiency solar panels. These are precisely the features of thin-film perovskite photovoltaics (PeroPVs). Drawing insights from tremendous silicon PV waste awaiting treatment, the recycling technologies within a circular economy become a prerequisite prior to the widespread commercial adoption of any PV technology. It is particularly important for perovskite photovoltaics to mitigate lead (Pb) consumption and prevent lead-containing waste release.
In recent years, lead recycling was raised to extract lead ions from the end-of-life modules through lead absorbents and subsequently recover lead ions to lead iodide for new module fabrication. However, the low atomic efficiency and involvement of hazardous solvents in current recycling technology diminish the economic benefits and industry compatibility. Hence, Dr. Xun Xiao intends to solve the issue by employing ligand-modulated coordination management (LiMCOM) to develop a novel eco-friendly recycling system for a sustainable and circular perovskite PV system that goes beyond the state-of-the-art. ER intends to bring a low-cost, high-efficiency, and pollution-free solution for PeroPV waste by utilizing inter/multidisciplinary research involving physics, chemistry, materials science, and device engineering with the host institutions excellent infrastructural resources. The proposed project (ECOPV) complements the ERs expertise in lead-recycling for perovskite PV and the host scientists knowledge of green solvent engineering. Overall, new expertise obtained via this fellowship will help ER mature in managing his future research group, ideally in Europe. |
