Friday 9 March 2012

Han's cells and Grätzel

My PhD supervisor, Han Vos, marked his retirement from Dublin City University this week with a symposium at Smart Surfaces 2012, a conference on solar energy devices and sensors. During my PhD I did some experimental and computational work related to dye-sensitised solar cells, and it was great to finally get to see Michael Grätzel in person talking about new developments in the field (which he originated).

Han was a great supervisor, and as a wet-behind-the-ears postgrad I think I learnt a lot from him. Something that I'd like to pass on to any postgrads reading this is to avoid at all costs co-authoring a review with a distinguished professor unless you have an impressive biography. Consider mine from back in 2005 (click for a bigger image) ...
Image Credits:
(1) W. R. Browne, N. M. O'Boyle, J. J. McGarvey and J. G. Vos. Elucidating excited state electronic structure and intercomponent interactions in multicomponent and supramolecular systems Chem. Soc. Rev. 2005, 34, 641-663. Reproduced by permission of The Royal Society of Chemistry.
(2) "Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Cham. www.phdcomics.com. Reproduced with permission.

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