Emily Diekmann, Faculty of Engineering

today

creation and Solar power storage is becoming increasingly important as the United States moves toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Erin RatcliffeUniversity of Arizona Associate Professor chemical and environmental engineering When chemistry and biochemistry, I am leading one of the divisions of Energy’s Energy Frontier Research Center advances energy conversion and storage technologies using soft organics. polymer electronic materials.

UArizona-based Center for Soft has raised $10.95 million in funding over four years. PhotoElectroChemical Systems (SPECS) focuses on the molecular-level science behind low-cost, highly scalable soft semiconductor technology. These semiconductors absorb light, produce electricity, and use that electricity to drive electrochemical reactions to produce chemicals called solar fuels. It is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and batteries. A typical example is hydrogen produced from sunlight.

The Energy Frontier Research Center brings together interdisciplinary teams to tackle the most challenging scientific advances in energy technology. This year, the Department of Energy established 43 Her EFRCs, and he awarded more than $400 million to continue.

“Leading the EFRC is an outstanding achievement for faculty at any stage of their career, but it is especially noteworthy for Erin Ratcliff, who entered the university as a postdoc and is an associate professor,” he said. . David W. HahnCraig M. Berge Dean Faculty of Engineering“Erin is an excellent researcher with a knack for bringing together experts from different disciplines, backgrounds and career stages to solve the grand challenges associated with sustainable energy. Our approach is fully consistent with the EFRC programme.”

Durability and “exquisite control”

Most of the current energy storage and solar fuel formation technologies are hard inorganic matter. However, these materials are becoming increasingly expensive and difficult to obtain. It is also particularly difficult for him to scale up to the levels needed to achieve a carbon-free energy economy by 2050. At the molecular level, converting solar energy into electrical energy and possibly storing that energy for later use involves a series of redox reactions. , or electron exchange between molecules.

SPECS focuses on the use of organic polymers. They interact in many ways. Unlike conventional inorganic devices, which are formed by bonding individual atoms, their large number of interaction points enhances reliability by providing potential pathways for chemical reactions to follow. Ratcliff says he likens the polymer network to a spaghetti bowl with many overlapping strands. Even though spaghetti has changed and one possible communication path is no longer an option, many other paths are still available.

“If there is a molecule Breaking one bond makes the molecule completely different, It has new properties, new colors, new energy levels, new electrochemistry,” said Ratcliff.

The tunability offered by synthesis and processing, combined with the polymer’s multitude of pathways, gives researchers what Ratcliff calls. Using polymers instead of molecules is like having a DSLR instead of a disposable camera with lots of settings and controls to get perfectly tuned photos. With limited options of ‘flash’ or ‘no flash’ this also means the polymer can be tuned dynamically maintain equilibrium. For example, it swells and relaxes when the temperature changes.

“The Department of Energy’s Energy Frontier Research Center enables researchers to collaborate on bold and innovative solutions to meet our nation’s need for sustainable energy technologies. Elizabeth “Betsy” CantwellU Arizona Senior Vice President research and innovation“I would like to congratulate Dr. Ratcliff for this major achievement not only in leading the engineering school’s first EFRC, but more importantly in advancing the science and technology of solar fuels.”

The team focuses on a specific class of polymeric materials that contain alternating single and double bonds between their molecules and are capable of conducting electricity. Their chemical structure makes these polymers particularly scalable and durable. To learn and advance the properties of these materials, the team develops new measurement approaches. They will help advance the field of basic semiconductor science regardless of the outcome of this project.

the journey comes full circle

The center was created over the years for Ratcliff, who started his postdoctoral studies at the University of Arizona chemistry and biochemistry 2007. Neil ArmstrongRegent Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and optical sciencebegan leading his own EFRC in 2009 and he chose Ratcliff As a researcher at the Interface Science Center: The Sun electronic materials. In this role, she coordinated efforts among Center members across the country, and subsequently national recognition from the Department of Energy for her work. in the middle, She learned about EFRC best practices.

“It Beyond management and budgetary considerations, a core aspect of Team Science: keeping everyone engaged and satisfied, and having to work hard You will not only learn how to make decisions, but you will also learn how to empower everyone, especially younger groups,” said Ratcliffe, now the university’s director. Printable Electronic Materials Interface Science Research Team“Since then I have wanted to lead the EFRC. I love Team Science and am very excited about my team. I have handpicked all of them. ”

SPECS includes experts in photovoltaics and photovoltaics from the University of Colorado Boulder, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Georgia Tech, the University of Kentucky, Emory University, Purdue University, and Stanford University. U Arizona faculty Jean-Luc BredasRegent Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Adam Prinz, Assistant Professor in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. Ratcliff selected people with a wide range of expertise, as well as different experience levels and diverse backgrounds.

“It’s pretty amazing when you look at the composition of that group,” said Armstrong, now a senior adviser to SPECS. “She got everyone excited, and it This was necessary as it is very high impact and high risk. The content of these programs. This is a big win for her, the University of Arizona and her students, the United States, and her DOE. ”

The president of the University of Arizona said: Robert C. Robbins“This is great news for our university and we are proud to have Dr. Ratcliffe leading this effort and providing a great example and point of inspiration for young women in STEM.”