23. May 2023

Laureate 2023 - Thuc-Quyen Nguyen

Thuc-Quyen Nguyen has been awarded the Wilhelm Exner Medal 2023 for his outstanding achievements. The ceremony and the public Exner Lectures will be held 2023, May 22-23 in Vienna, Austria.

She is a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is director of the Center for Polymers and Organic Solids (CPOS) and conducts research in organic electronic devices such as photovoltaics, LEDs and field-effect transistors. She uses optical, electrical and structural techniques to understand materials and devices.

Her research focuses on the development of organic solar cells. These differ from other solar cells in that they are made of plastic and can be easily produced as a thin film using an industrial printer. Compared to conventional silicon-based inorganic solar modules, they offer a number of advantages. While conventional solar modules with inorganic semiconductor materials achieve higher efficiencies, organic solar cells are more environmentally friendly, less expensive and can be used in a wide range of application scenarios.

Electrifying the World with Solar Energy

Abstract of her Laureates Lectures:

According to a recent report by the US Department of Energy, “world demand for energy is projected to more than double by 2050 and to more than triple by the end of the century.” Thus, the development of alternative energy sources is now recognized by government, society and the global community as an urgent need. Sunlight is the most abundant source of energy on Earth and, if harvested efficiently and economically, can address the energy demands in the future. Organic solar cells potentially can offer low cost, large area, flexible, light-weight, clean, and quiet alternative energy sources for indoor and outdoor applications. In this talk, I will discuss the world electrification with solar energy and its impact on decarbonization followed by the development of organic solar cells and their potential applications in energy-efficient buildings, greenhouses, and indoor power sources for Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices.