Research and Background
My research is focused on Lead-Halide Perovskite materials for photovoltaic applications. In particular I am working on improving the stability of these materials when used with metal oxide charge-selective contact layers as well as modifications to interfaces (via Atomic Layer Deposition) within the device stack to improve both performance and stability by reducing recombination losses and chemical reactions at these interfaces.
Prior to coming to Oxford I studied Mechanical and Process Engineering at the ETH Zürich. During my bachelors I worked on projects involving the synthesis of of PbS nanocrystals for photovoltaic applications as well as the assembly of these dispersions into gel structures and ultimately their conversion into aerogel structures via supercritical drying.
During my masters I was involved in projects looking at the application of CdSe quantum dots as the gain medium for "Spaser" applications and developing solution processing techniques particular to this application. I was also involved in a process engineering project looking to upscale the hot-injection synthesis method for nanocrystals to multi-litre volumes using a localised reaction under-pressure to assist in both the injection and mixing of the precursor solutions. Due to time constraints and moving to Oxford, this project was mainly design and modelling based, focusing on CFD simulations of the mixing as well as thermal simulations to investigate heat transfer.
With my particular skillset spanning both physics and engineering, I have also been involved in the development, design, fabrication, modification and repair of a number pieces of equipment in the lab, notably the design and fabrication of an Atomic Layer Deposition setup as well as a multi-source co-evaporation system. The designs for the Arduino/Raspberry Pi based control systems as well as the custom PCB layouts and all associated technical drawings and software are available on Github.
If you would like any more information about my research 🧪 or engineering projects 🛠, please feel free to send me an email 🙂