Materials and devices for photovoltaic energy conversion

可持续的可再生能源生产已经成为科学、政治和社会中最紧迫的问题之一。极地冰盖的消失、世界石油价格的创纪录、汽油价格的飙升以及东欧天然气供应的不稳定，都突显了对可持续、碳中和、安全能源的需求。使情况进一步复杂化的是，大多数商业产品，如硅太阳能电池，以及接近商业的技术，如燃料电池和染料敏化太阳能电池，要么在生产过程中过于能源密集，要么使用稀有的贵金属，如铂，作为电极催化剂。两者都提出了有关当前技术化身的可行性和可持续性的问题。世界各地的顶尖研究人员正在推广只使用地球上丰富的材料的能量收集技术的概念。

Sustainable, renewable energy production has become one of the most pressing issues in science, politics and society. Disappearing polar ice caps, record world oil prices, soaring gasoline prices and instabilities in natural gas supplies in Eastern Europe only underscore the need for sustainable, carbon-neutral, secure sources of energy. Further complicating the situation, most commercial products, such as silicon solar cells, and near-commercial technologies, such as fuel cells and dye-sensitized solar cells, are either far too energy intensive in their production or utilize scarce precious metals, such as platinum, as electrode catalysts. Both raise questions concerning the viability and sustainability of the present incarnations of the technologies. Top researchers throughout the world are promoting the concept of energy harvesting technologies that use only earth-abundant materials.