Research Stories

A new fabrication technique for substantially enhancing the prospects of commercialising perovskite solar cells through improved stability, reliability, efficiency and affordability is underway at CityUHK.

CityUHK research team addressed a challenge for scientists for over a decade with creative material science solutions. The team demonstrated an effective strategy to enhance the long-term stability of perovskite-organic tandem solar cells, which can be mass-produced at a speed comparable to newspaper printing, with a daily output of up to 1,000 solar panels.

Five research projects from CityUHK were granted funds from the HKSAR Government’s RAISe+ Scheme. This demonstrates CityUHK’s commitment to promoting excellence in high-quality research and innovation, driving the transformation of the University’s world-class scientific research into applications, thereby creating commercial and social value.

Zinc-nitrate batteries are a primary non-rechargeable energy storage system that utilizes the redox potential difference between zinc and nitrate ions to store and release electrical energy. A research team co-led by chemists from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) have developed a high-performance rechargeable zinc-nitrate/ethanol battery by introducing an innovative catalyst. They successfully designed and synthesized an efficient tetraphenylporphyrin (tpp) modified heterophase rhodium-copper alloy metallene (RhCu M-tpp). This bifunctional catalyst exhibits remarkable capabilities in both the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) and ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) in a neutral medium, overcoming the monofunctional limitations of traditional metal-based solid catalysts and providing a valuable reference for the design of sustainable energy storage in the future.

A research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) recently engineered a bimetallic alloy as an ultrathin nanocatalyst that can deliver greatly improved electrochemical performance for generating ammonia from nitrate, offering great potential for obtaining carbon-neutral fuel in the future.

A huge step forward in the evolution of perovskite solar cells recorded by researchers at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) will have significant implications for renewable energy development.