Course: How to Survive on Earth: Energy Materials for a Sustainable Future

The video above shows how we can convert solar energy into electrical energy using a dye-sensitised solar cell. Dye-sensitised solar cells Dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSC) are a relatively new and …

Absorbing the sun Materials and Solar Cells All solar cells contain materials that absorb light resulting in the separation of charges, electrons and holes, that can then be extracted to …

What is a solar cell and how does it work? A solar cell is able to absorb the photon energy from the sun and deliver electrical power. Electrical power is …

The world has thrived on cheap, non-renewable energy materials – coal, oil and gas – but at what cost? Congratulations on completing this week, we have explored the current energy …

What are the possible solutions? At present, we have an over-reliance on fossil fuels which in turn produce high levels of CO2 in our atmosphere. There is a lack of …

A challenge for energy consumption Professor Richard Smalley gave a presentation on December 2, 2004, titled Symposium X—Frontiers of Materials Research. In which he laid out the Terawatt Challenge. To …

“…human-generated carbon dioxide emissions are imposing on the planet an unsustainable burden in terms of temperature increase. And we must address that”. Andrew Holmes (2018) Human Activities Energy production and …

Richard Smalley Chemist and Nobel Prize winner 1986 Nobel Prize-winning chemist, Professor Richard Smalley identified what he felt were the top 10 issues facing the world: Energy Water Food Environment …

It’s great to meet you. Let’s meet the team The course you’re about to engage with has been put together with the knowledge and experience of experts in the field. …

We have now seen that we can store energy in either a solar fuel or battery. Which would be a better option for a sustainable future? As Prof. Maria Forsyth …

In the video above, Prof. Maria Forsyth discusses whether storing energy in solar fuels is as good as using batteries. If we could make fuels like H2 from only sunshine …

By now, you are aware that no matter what solutions are found, there will be challenges on the path to using any material-based initiative to survive on Earth. In the …

There is a lot of speculation about superconductivity and its future as there is a lot we still don’t know about the materials and the phenomena itself. In the research …

We’ve talked about using the sun as a source of energy, and how we can store this energy produced in batteries or fuels like hydrogen or ammonia. Even with more …

We have learned a fair bit of background information on superconductivity. In this video Dr. Yi Du takes us into the lab and shows us the work that is currently …