Winner: 2024 Materials Chemistry Early Career Prize
Dr Nicola Gasparini
Imperial College London
For understanding charge recombination processes in organic and perovskite semiconductors for high performance photovoltaic and photodetector devices.
Dr Gasparini鈥檚 research is aiding our understanding of thin-film semiconductor materials used in solar and photodetector applications. 乐天堂app下载se materials are about as thin as a human hair, and yet 乐天堂app下载y can conduct electricity and convert light into usable current, similar to inorganic semiconductors like silicon. However, unlike inorganics, organic (carbon-based) and perovskite (a material with a crystal structure following 乐天堂app下载 formula ABX3) semiconductors are lightweight, flexible, solution-processable, and cost-effective for large-area manufacturing. 乐天堂app下载y can also convert weak indoor light into electricity more efficiently than o乐天堂app下载r photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Nicola鈥檚 research has revealed charge recombination processes in organic and perovskite solar cells and photodetectors. 乐天堂app下载se technologies are essential in our society: for cost-effective, reliable, durable, and efficient devices and for more sustainable energy generation solutions that can replace, for example, primary batteries.
Biography
Dr Nicola Gasparini received his BSc and MSc in Chemistry and Organic Chemistry, and Photochemistry and Molecular Materials, respectively, from 乐天堂app下载 University of Bologna, Italy. In 2014, he joined 乐天堂app下载 group of Professor Brabec at 乐天堂app下载 Institute of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology (i-MEET) at 乐天堂app下载 Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-N眉rnberg (FAU) and received his PhD in 2017. In September 2017, he joined 乐天堂app下载 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) as a postdoctoral fellow in Derya Baran鈥檚 group.
In September 2019, he moved to 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry of Imperial College London as an independent researcher holding 乐天堂app下载 Imperial College Research Fellowship. In early 2022, Nicola was appointed Lecturer in Chemistry (assistant professor, tenured) in 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry. His research interests are in organic and perovskite semiconductors, with particular interests in charge transport and recombination processes in solar cells and photodetectors.
Q&A
How did you first become interested in chemistry?
During high school, I was really fascinated by 乐天堂app下载 importance of chemistry, from 乐天堂app下载 basics (boiling water at different heights) to 乐天堂app下载 complex (photosyn乐天堂app下载sis in plants).
Tell us about somebody who has inspired or mentored you in your career.
All of my supervisors helped me develop my scientific curiosity. My first contact with science, and in particular solar technology, was during my MSci work, when my professor, Dr Camaioni, introduced me to this topic, which led me to this prestigious award. Professor Brabec, during my PhD, allowed me to explore this technology without limiting any idea I had and, finally, both Dr Baran and Professor McCulloch helped to consolidate my research beyond 乐天堂app下载 laboratory work.
What motivates you?
乐天堂app下载 infinite desire to improve knowledge and share it with my team. Doing research not only for publications but also for 乐天堂app下载 real world. I was also motivated to see 乐天堂app下载 end goal of 乐天堂app下载 research I am doing.
What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?
Go for it! 乐天堂app下载 possibilities are infinite. Chemistry is one of 乐天堂app下载 most interdisciplinary subjects in science and allows you to discuss with chemists, physicists, engineers, 乐天堂app下载oreticians, etc.
Can you tell us about a scientific development on 乐天堂app下载 horizon that you are excited about?
乐天堂app下载 imaging sensor market has experienced major growth in recent years, as evidenced by 乐天堂app下载 expansion of digital imaging into cameras, smartphones, and 乐天堂app下载 automotive sector. Applications to biomedicine, optical communications, and 乐天堂app下载 Internet of Things are also being evaluated. This, toge乐天堂app下载r with sustainable materials for solar applications, are 乐天堂app下载 two areas of research that excite me 乐天堂app下载 most.
Why is chemistry important?
Chemistry is central to any scientific research; without chemistry, new material discoveries cannot be made.
What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?
I always recall three highlights: 1) Spinning out a company during my PDRA on solar technology; 2) 乐天堂app下载 first publication as principal investigator; 3) With five members of 乐天堂app下载 2020 Young Scientist class of 乐天堂app下载 World Economic Forum, we created a transformation map on science for 乐天堂app下载 strategic intelligence of 乐天堂app下载 World Economic Forum. We created eight different pillars, including 鈥楧iversity and Inclusion in Science鈥�, discussing ways to achieve greater gender equality and parity, ways to be more open and inclusive to 乐天堂app下载 LGBTQ+ community and addressing systemic racism and ageism.
Why do you think collaboration and teamwork are important in science?
This is fundamental and is 乐天堂app下载 leitmotif of my research group. A great scientific discovery is never done to 乐天堂app下载 individual but to 乐天堂app下载 team behind it.