“Acceptance Speech” Frontiers of Knowledge Award 2021 in Basic Sciences

Acceptance speech by Michael Grätzel, winner of the 2021 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences, who was honored alongside A. Paul Alivisatos for their fundamental contributions to the development of nanomaterials for energy applications. His research led to the creation of dye-sensitized solar cells, known as Grätzel cells, which mimic natural photosynthesis to convert light into electricity and have opened new avenues for the development of photovoltaic technologies.

Grätzel reflects on the need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources to address climate change and meet growing global energy demand. He explains how titanium dioxide nanoparticles and light-absorbing dyes made it possible to develop more affordable, flexible solar cells capable of generating electricity from ambient light. He also highlights subsequent advances in perovskite solar cells and a

Acceptance speech by Michael Grätzel, winner of the 2021 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences, who was honored alongside A. Paul Alivisatos for their fundamental contributions to the development of nanomaterials for energy applications. His research led to the creation of dye-sensitized solar cells, known as Grätzel cells, which mimic natural photosynthesis to convert light into electricity and have opened new avenues for the development of photovoltaic technologies.

Grätzel reflects on the need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources to address climate change and meet growing global energy demand. He explains how titanium dioxide nanoparticles and light-absorbing dyes made it possible to develop more affordable, flexible solar cells capable of generating electricity from ambient light. He also highlights subsequent advances in perovskite solar cells and acknowledges the importance of fundamental research and scientific collaboration in developing new energy solutions.