Professor Yuanyuan Zhou, an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering at HKUST, is studying perovskite, a revolutionary semiconductor material for solar cells and optoelectronic applications. 

Traditional solar cells use “bulky” and expensive silicon, making them impractical for widespread installation in urban areas. Using perovskite, solar cells can be made one hundred times thinner at a much lower cost. They can be made aesthetic owing to the exceptional ability of perovskite to unlock flexibility, colors, and transparency. These will reform our impression of solar cells. 

Prof. Zhou and his research team spend every moment investigating the structure “secrets” inside perovskite solar cells, which are at the heart of the stability issue in the commercialization path of this technology.  They envision that this research can lead to future perovskite solar cells that can stay outdoors for years. By integrating these solar cells onto the surfaces of skyscrapers and buildings, the promise of solar power becomes enormous. 

In parallel to research, Prof. Zhou is passionate about teaching and mentoring students. Prof. Zhou builds his research group by bringing together students from different study backgrounds and with their own areas of strength. He keeps his office door open to welcome students. He is proud of having his office to function as a brainstorming room, where numerous fantastic ideas have been shaped and later published in the most prestigious journals, including Science and Nature Energy. “Young students are more courageous in thinking outside the box. Teaching them offers me an opportunity to be inspired by their different ways of thinking,” Prof. Zhou says.