Our current research focuses on high performance, low cost electronic materials and devices including Perovskite Solar Cells, Photodetectors, and X-ray Imagers. Our interdisciplinary research team hosts scientists with different backgrounds of chemistry, materials, physics, and electrical engineering. We focus on applied research, while we are strongly interested in fundamental understanding of science that enables the applications.
We have a strong collaboration culture, and nearly all of our projects have collaborators from academia, industry and national labs. We train the next generation of scientists and engineers to help them succeed in a very competitive job market as well as in future careers, either in academia or private sectors.
Our Current Research Interest
Perovskite Solar Cells
Perovskite materials are arising as a new generation of solution processable metal halide perovskite photovoltaic materials.Our research on perovskite solar cell involves :
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Understanding the fundamental material and devices physics, mainly the photon to charge carrier conversion, to explore the theoretically attainable highest efficiency;
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Device design, material processing and material chemistry for the record power conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells;
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Understanding the physical and chemical properties of perovskites to enhance the stability of perovskites devices;
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Scalable manufacturing of perovskite solar modules, including single junction and tandem modules;
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Synthesis of perovskite crystals with tuned defect density, compositions, layer and quantum structures;
Visible photon and X-ray detection
We are interested in developing perovskite materials based X-ray detectors for X-ray imaging and γ-ray spectroscopic detectors for spectroscopy, which is based on our discovery of ultra-long carrier drift length in the strong radiation-stopping perovskites. We are developing
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Perovskite pixel detectors and array detectors for X-ray imaging. The next generation of X-ray detectors will be much more sensitive, clearer due to the improved resolution, and cheaper.
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Perovskite gamma-ray single-photon detectors can give high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy at much higher operation temperatures than state-of-the-art products, and are 100-1000 times cheaper;
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Perovskite single photon counting detectors which can read-out photon numbers from scintillators. These photodetectors are self-powered and operate at much higher temperature than SiPM and PMT.
Dec.15, 2023
Multiple alumni elected as highly cited researchers
41 Tar Heels ranked as ‘highly cited researchers’
Four among 41 are from Huang group, They are Jinsong Huang, Yehao Deng, Qi Wang and Haotong Wei.
Oct 31, 2023
Mengru questioned the general idea of using 2D perovskites to enhance stability of perovskite solar cells
Sep 25, 2023
Dr. Ying Zhou received highest honor
Dr. Ying Zhou is among the five awardees in the whole UNC campus for the 2023 Postdoctoral Awards for Research Excellence (PARE). which are given in recognition of the research promise demonstrated by individual postdoctoral scholars.
May 25, 2023
Lead Chelation Molecules Stabilize the Bottom Interface of Perovskite Modules
See News about the breakthrough work of Chengbin Fei published in Science:
Meet perovskite, the new and improved ‘solar sandwich’ that may lead to a more stable solar panel
New collaborative research may create more accessible, efficient solar energy applications
May 15, 2023
Efficient and Stable bifacial perovskite minomodules
See Techxplore News about the breakthrough work of Hangyu Gu published in Nature Energy:
New design strategies to improve the stability and efficiency of bifacial perovskite solar cells
April 12, 2023
Self-powered photon counting detector
Ying's work published in Nature is highlighted at UNC main page: "Self-powered photon counting detector may facilitate safer medical imaging and clearer photos in low light environments"
Sep 17, 2022
All-perovskite tandem modules
Xuezeng Dai's work on developing high efficient all perovskite tandem modules is published in Nature Energy and highlighted by TechXplore
June 22, 2022
Several awards to Huang group student and postdoc
Liang Zhao received Best Young Researcher Talk in EMRS meeting, and Md Aslam Uddin received the Best Poster Silver Award from GRC conference. Congratulations!
April 22, 2022
Meeting us in the summer
Huang will present a plenary talk in the coming PVSC on the topic of Defects in Metal Halide Perovskites
Jan 18, 2022
Chemical nature of defects in perovskites
Zhenyi's work on the chemical nature of defects in metal halide perovskites and defect evolution duration degradation, published in Nature Energy, is reported by TechXplore
Nov.28, 2021
Bouncing Perovskite Module Highlighted
Xun used Lead-Adsorbing Ionogel to Minimize Lead Leakage from Perovskites Solar Modules and Enhanced the Mechanical Robustness of the modules, published in Science Advances. The modules can survive many rounds of metal ball impact.
See report by PV Magazine and AZO Materials.
Nov.15, 2021
Highly cited researchers
Congratulations Jinsong, you're a Highly Cited Researcher ─ 2021, in Material Science and Chemistry!
Nov.1, 2021
Lead recycling
Bo Chen's Nature Communications paper on Lead Recycling is highlighted by the editor. "The Editors’ Highlights pages aim to showcase the 50 best papers recently published in an area".
Sep.21, 2021
Postdoc research award
Zhenyi Ni received the 2021 UNC Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence!
Aug.21, 2021
Record efficiency of perovskite modules
Shangshang achieved record efficiency perovskite minimodules, certified by NREL using stabilized photocurrent output method. The result is published in Science. See report from PV Magazine.
March 22, 2021
Research highlights
Several beautiful works done by our talented alumni Dr. Shangshang Chen and Dr. Yehao Deng towards perovskite solar cell commercialization have been highlighted by our colleagues:
Reproducible, high-performance perovskite solar cells
A step forward for commercializing low-cost perovskite solar cells
Jan 22, 2021
Xun Xiao Received 2021 Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award
Big Congratulation! This is very selective award. Xun joined the four awardees at UNC. Only one graduate student from the whole college on math, physical sciences and engineering received this award. Read more
December 3, 2020
Dr. Yehao Deng made world record efficiency perovskite PV modules
Huang group was recognized for the first time for the prestigious research accomplishment of world-record solar module efficiency of 18.6% for a perovskite minimodule with area of 30-60 cm2. Read more