LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course intends to provide students with a general comprehension of the physico-chemical properties of several innovative inorganic materials for energy. Aim of the course is to give the instruments for understanding the physico-chemical correlation between structure, microstructure and electronic and transport properties occurring in the state–of–the–art of inorganic materials for Energy conversion, storage and harvesting.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course intends to provide students with a general understanding of the physico-chemical properties of several innovative inorganic materials for Energy conversion, storage and harvesting. Aim of the course is to give the instruments for the comprehension of the physico-chemical correlation between structure, microstructure, and electronic and transport properties existing in the state–of–the–art of inorganic materials for Energy such as LEDs, solar cells, solid oxide cells and thermoelectric generators.

At the end of the course, students will have developed knowledge of the physical chemistry of materials for Energy; they will have applied and elaborated concepts previously acquired in the physico-chemical studies; they will be able to correlate the structural properties with the transport properties in simple case studies; they will have acquired the working principles of optoelectronic, electrochemical at solid-state and thermoelectric devices; moreover, the research work fundamental for the optimization of material properties will be learned.

PREREQUISITES

Basic knowledge of inorganic and physical chemistry

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists in 32 hours frontal teaching held from the two professors

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Introduction

• Crystal structures: fluorite, perovskite, skutterudite.
• Defects and their role in optical and transport properties of materials.
• General features of the band structure of inorganic materials.

Optoelectronic properties of materials

• Absorption, excitation and emission mechanisms.
• Optical properties of some transition elements. Lanthanides luminescence.
• From bulk to nano. Effects of quantum confinement (quantum well, quantum wire, quantum dot). 
• Devices. Working principles and choice of the most proper material for solar cells, luminescent solar concentrators (LSC), LED, screens, scintillators, lasers.

Transport properties of materials: transport of electrons, ions and heat

• Solid oxide cells: historical remarks and working principles
• Materials for electrodes and electrolytes in solid oxide cells: structure/properties correlations
• Thermoelectricity: historical remarks and working principles
• Materials for thermoelectric generators: structure/properties correlations

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All slides will be available in aulaweb starting from the date of the lesson. This material will be sufficient to prepare the exam.

The following books are suggested as focus texts:

- M. Grundmann, The Physics of Semiconductors: an introduction including nanophysics and applications, IV Edition Springer 2021.

- D.M. Rowe, Thermoeletrics handbook, Macro to Nano, CRC press Taylor & Francis 2006.