SPEAKER PROFILE

Prof. Jovana V. Milić
Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg

Switzerland

Multifunctional Perovskite Materials for Smart Photovoltaics

Abstract

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have become one of the leading materials for solar-to-electric energy conversion in photovoltaics. However, their instability under operating conditions poses a critical obstacle to practical applications. While this can to an extent be overcome by incorporating organic moieties within hybrid perovskite frameworks to form lower dimensional architectures with superior operational stabilities, their insulating character compromises the resulting photovoltaic performances. We demonstrate the capacity to rely on supramolecular engineering of (photo)electroactive organic species to enhance the functionality of hybrid perovskites by enabling control of their properties in response to external stimuli, such as voltage bias, light, or pressure, opening a path toward multifunctional materials for smart photovoltaics.

Bio

Jovana V. Milić is Assistant Professor and Group Leader at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland since January 2021. She has obtained her PhD in the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences of ETH Zurich in 2017 and she worked as postdoctoral researcher and scientist in the Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces at EPFL, until taking on a Group Leader position at the Adolphe Merkle Institute in Fribourg in September 2020 as Swiss National Science Foundation PRIMA Fellow. Her research is centred around the development of (supra)molecular materials for energy conversion that can respond to external stimuli and adapt to their operating conditions, with a particular focus on photovoltaics. She has been recognized by a number of honours and awards, such as the CAS Future Leader 2019, Green Talents Award in 2020, and the Zeno Karl Schindler Prize in 2021. In addition to research and international collaborations, she is invested in science outreach, policy, and diplomacy through engagement with the European Young Chemists’ Network and International Younger Chemists Networks, as well as Swiss and Global Young Academies, connecting and supporting young scientists globally.