Topic: Perovskite materials for energy harvesting applications 

Speaker: Prof. Prabhakar Singh, Head of Department 

Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu Universities) Varanasi, Varanasi (U.P), Indian 

Time: 9:00-10:00, (Mon.) Oct. 14, 2019 

Venue: Room 468, Lee Hsun Building, IMR CAS 

Abstract: 

The energy, economy and environment (the 3E’s) are mutually coupled subjects. With the increase in population and change in life style, the energy demand is rising globally; to meet this requirement, research on alternative energy sources is going on. The renewable alternative energy sources are still at large based on wind energy, hydro energy, and solar energy. However, the chemical and materials energy is also important energy resources which provide energy as energy generators viz., heat engine, fuel cells, piezoelectric nano energy generators, solar energy based hydrogen generators etc. 

Perovskite (with general formula ABO₃) are materials, which are very popular materials in research owing to easy structural modification induced material properties. Double perovskite and Ruddlesden Popper are derivative of perovskite which are also very popular 3-D and 2-D materials, respectively. We are working on perovskite materials being the promising future of materials to be used in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), Solar cell and piezoelectricity. SOFC based on oxide ion solid conductors, is an alternative source of energy suitable to all size of combined heat and power with a power range from kW to a few tens of MW. The perovskite halides are now emerged as interesting and promising candidate for solar-cell yet its commercialization is still far away due to its stability issues. Piezoelectricity/Pyroelectricity is another source of energy in the form of energy harvesters gives power in the range of mW. In SOFC, we are working on the three basic components of SOFC i.e. electrolyte, cathode and anode. In the similar way, we are working on the stability issue of the perovskite materials for solar cell applications. Simultaneously, attempts are being made to enhance piezoelectric/pyroelectric figure of merit for lead free ceramics.