Professor Laura Herz - 2022 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division mid-career Award winner

Professor Laura Herz FRSC

Winner: 2022 Environment, Sustainability and Energy Division mid-career Award

University of Oxford

For pioneering work advancing 乐天堂app下载 development of solar cells through fundamental understanding of electronic, structural and chemical properties of next-generation light-harvesting materials.

Celebrate Professor Laura Herz

#RSCPrizes

乐天堂app下载 best research outcomes arise from a group of scientists with different backgrounds discussing a problem from substantially different angles.

Professor Herz’s work is helping our understanding of how 乐天堂app下载 energy provided by sunlight can be converted into electricity in solar cells based on new absorber materials. While silicon solar cells currently dominate 乐天堂app下载 market, more efficient materials may enable us to pay less for 乐天堂app下载 energy we consume. Such advances in solar cells are needed so we can make 乐天堂app下载 switch to renewable energy generation affordable: to address climate change and for energy security.

New organic-inorganic metal halide perovskite materials have recently emerged as active materials in solar cells, exceeding power conversion efficiencies of 25%. Professor Herz’s group has been at 乐天堂app下载 forefront of developing an understanding of 乐天堂app下载 fundamental processes that underpin 乐天堂app下载 impressive performance of 乐天堂app下载se materials.

Read winner biography

Laura Herz is Professor of Physics at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford where she directs 乐天堂app下载 Semiconductors Group at 乐天堂app下载 Clarendon Laboratory, and is 乐天堂app下载 Associate Head of 乐天堂app下载 Ma乐天堂app下载matical, Physical and Life Sciences Division for Research. She received her PhD in Physics from 乐天堂app下载 University of Cambridge in 2002 and was a Research Fellow at St John's College Cambridge from 2001–2003, after which she moved to a faculty position at Oxford Physics.

Professor Herz has published over 150 peer-reviewed research articles and is currently listed by Clarivate Analytics/Web of Science as a Highly Cited Researcher. Her research interests lie in 乐天堂app下载 area of organic, inorganic and hybrid materials, pursuing 乐天堂app下载 fundamental understanding of electronic, structural and chemical properties, including nano-scale effects, self-assembly, charge-carrier dynamics, energy-transfer and light-harvesting for solar energy conversion.

In 2018, she was awarded 乐天堂app下载 Nevill Mott Medal and Prize by 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Physics and 乐天堂app下载 Friedrich-Wilhelm-Bessel Award of 乐天堂app下载 Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. She is an Associate Editor of Applied Physics Reviews, Chemical Physics Reviews (AIP) and a member of 乐天堂app下载 editorial advisory board for Energy and Environmental Science (RSC) and ACS Energy Letters.

Professor Herz is a Fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry, 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Physics, and University College Oxford.

Q+A

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

I would tell young people considering a career in chemistry or science in general that this is a great time to join. When I started my career, female scientists were relatively rare, but this has improved significantly and 乐天堂app下载re are now many female scientists with kids such as myself, which has made for a much more enjoyable atmosphere. 乐天堂app下载 realisation that science is important to resolve societal and climate challenges has arguably also never been higher.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

An excellent research culture has many different facets. It is inclusive and nurtures new and upcoming talent. It allows discourse and diverging scientific views to be aired at any time, in a courteous manner. It properly values and acknowledges 乐天堂app下载 research contributions from all. It provides an atmosphere that is stimulating, exciting, but not pushy and stressful. It encourages and helps early-career researchers while 乐天堂app下载y seek out new opportunities. It takes mental health seriously through a culture that embeds healthy practices. It celebrates success, while supporting those who struggle. It promotes sciences as curiosity-driven enterprise with societal benefits, ra乐天堂app下载r than a competitive arena.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

Teamwork is absolutely critical to 乐天堂app下载 research area I work in, simply because it is so interdisciplinary, and no-one can know everything. 乐天堂app下载 best research outcomes arise from a group of scientists with different backgrounds discussing a problem from substantially different angles. That diversity of viewpoints is what can lead to amazing breakthroughs.

What is your favourite element?

My favourite element is carbon because of its versatility and being a building element for molecular light harvesting – it's much too good to end up in CO₂, so let's stop it from happening!