Our research ultimately aims to use solar energy to drive processes that are important to humanity. It involves storing solar energy in chemical bonds, generating so-called solar fuels, for example by oxidizing water to hydrogen gas, or using sunlight to drive multi-electron reactions such as the reduction of carbon dioxide to methanol or methane. We are also working on making solar cells more efficient by making better use of all the sun’s photons.
The research can be divided into two main tracks. One is to study and control multiple electron transfers between molecules and different types of semiconducting materials, such as quantum dots or metal oxides, so-called conduction band-mediated charge transfer. In addition to designing materials and molecules with the properties we desire, we use, among other things, light, but also the surrounding environment to control the charge transfer processes.
The other main track concerns the development and characterization of new photoactive molecules and materials, that can absorb light and then use this extra energy to drive a desired process. It can be converting a high-energy photon into two charge carriers with half the energy, so called singlet fission, for more efficient solar cells, or about molecular sensors that change color depending on the energy of the light that hits them, to name just two examples.
We mainly use spectroscopic techniques, from ultrafast femtosecond laser spectroscopy to long time scales such as milliseconds or even minutes to study electron transfer reactions. We also use electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry, calorimetry and microscopy to understand the properties of our molecules and materials.
Current and previous external funding
The Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Energy Agency, Åforsk foundation, OIle Engkvist's foundation, KAW, Formas
