Chemical societies host solar energy summit

Technologies in photovoltaics and photonics for solar energy application have developed faster than previously imagined. To provide insight and direction to this field, the 7th Chemical Sciences & Society Summit (CS3) focused on the topic “Solar Energy & Photonics for a Sustainable Future.”

The summit, a joint initiative of the American Chemical Society, Chinese Chemical Society, Royal Society of Chemistry, Chemical Society of Japan, German Chemical Society, and science funding agencies from the U.S., China, Germany, Japan, and the U.K., was held on Sept. 5–8 in Dalian, China. It brought together experts on topics including artificial photosynthesis and CO₂ reduction, new photovoltaic materials with abundant elements, and photonic materials and photon upconversion.

The U.S. delegation was led by Suljo Linic of the University of Michigan, with participation from Harry Atwater of California Institute of Technology; Gordana Dukovic of the University of Colorado, Boulder; Gerald Meyer of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; and Vivian Ferry of the University of Minnesota.

Summit organizers will release a white paper in March on their findings, with recommendations for a future research focus. The CS3 series fosters work in transnational teams, across scientific disciplines, and beyond institutional boundaries. To learn more about the CS3 series, visit www.acs.org/cs3.