Young investigator group at HZB: Scaling perovskite cells
Dr. Eva Unger leads the Young Investigator Group Hy-Per-FORME. © privat
The new Young Investigator Group Hy-Per-FORME led by Dr. Eva Unger is working on scaling all processing steps to enable manufacturing of perovskite solar cells on larger areas, thus brigding he gap between lab and industry.
Dr. Eva Unger is starting a Young Investigator Group (YIG) at HZB, co-financed by the Federal Ministry for Education and Science (BMBF). The activities of the Unger group will be an important contribution within the newly-founded HySPRINT Innovation lab aiming at the realization of large-area, stable and efficient hybrid tandem device technology based on a combination of established silicon photovoltaic technology and emerging perovskite semiconductor devices.
To achieve this goal, developing and optimizing scalable deposition methods for the recently evolved hybrid perovskite semiconductors is one of the key aspects. The YIG of Unger therefore focusses on the formation and scaling the deposition of hybrid perovskite semiconductors using slot-die coating and ink-jet printing as a solution-based processing technology.
Originally from Germany, Eva Unger did her PhD at Uppsala University, Sweden and carried out postdoctoral work at Stanford University and Lund University through a stipend from the swedish Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation. Prior to starting the YIG, she has been working as a visiting researcher at Helmholtz Center Berlin funded by an International Career Grant co-funded by the Swedish Research Council and Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Actions. She will be co-affiliated with Lund University, Sweden and aims to strengthen cooperations with Lund University, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Universities in Berlin and Brandenburg.
- Porous Radical Organic framework improves lithium-sulphur batteriesA team led by Prof. Yan Lu, HZB, and Prof. Arne Thomas, Technical University of Berlin, has developed a material that enhances the capacity and stability of lithium-sulphur batteries. The material is based on polymers that form a framework with open pores (known as radical-cationic covalent organic frameworks or COFs). Catalytically accelerated reactions take place in these pores, firmly trapping polysulphides, which would shorten the battery life. Some of the experimental analyses were conducted at the BAMline at BESSY II.
- Shedding light on insulators: how light pulses unfreeze electronsMetal oxides are abundant in nature and central to technologies such as photocatalysis and photovoltaics. Yet, many suffer from poor electrical conduction, caused by strong repulsion between electrons in neighboring metal atoms. Researchers at HZB and partner institutions have shown that light pulses can temporarily weaken these repulsive forces, lowering the energy required for electrons mobility, inducing a metal-like behavior. This discovery offers a new way to manipulate material properties with light, with high potential to more efficient light-based devices.
- Key technology for a future without fossil fuelsIn June and July 2025, catalyst researcher Nico Fischer spent some time at HZB. It was his sabbatical, he was relieved of his duties as Director of the Catalysis Institute in Cape Town for several months and was able to focus on research only. His institute is collaborating with HZB on two projects that aim to develop environmentally friendly alternatives using innovative catalyst technologies. The questions were asked by Antonia Rötger, HZB.