Michael Grätzel

Michael Grätzel
Name	Michael Grätzel
Birth date	1944-05-11
Birth place	Dorfchemnitz, Saxony, Germany
Nationality	Swiss
Fields	Physical chemistry, Photochemistry, Nanotechnology
Workplaces	École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Brown University, University of Texas at Austin
Alma mater	University of Stuttgart, University of British Columbia
Known for	Dye-sensitized solar cell
Awards	See Awards and honors

Michael Grätzel is a German-born Swiss chemist renowned for inventing the dye-sensitized solar cell and for pioneering research in photochemistry, nanomaterials, and energy conversion. His work spans collaborations with universities, national laboratories, and corporations across Europe, North America, and Asia, influencing research in photovoltaics, catalysis, and sensing. Grätzel’s laboratories and spin-off companies have bridged academic discoveries with commercial applications in renewable energy and materials science.

Early life and education

Grätzel was born in Dorfchemnitz in Saxony and grew up in post-war Germany during the era of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic partition. He completed undergraduate and doctoral studies in physical chemistry at the University of Stuttgart before undertaking postdoctoral research at the University of British Columbia with links to Canadian research institutions. His early mentors and collaborators included researchers associated with the Max Planck Society, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, and laboratories connected to the European Research Council framework.

Academic and research career

Grätzel joined the faculty of the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he founded a laboratory combining expertise from Brown University, the University of Texas at Austin, and other international centers. He has held visiting professorships and sabbaticals at institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of Cambridge. His collaborative network extends to national laboratories including the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and the Paul Scherrer Institute. Grätzel served on advisory boards for organizations like the European Commission, the Swiss National Science Foundation, and private firms including spin-offs from EPFL. He has mentored students and postdocs who moved to positions at the Max Planck Institute, Tsinghua University, Peking University, University of Tokyo, and research institutes across South Korea and Japan.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (Grätzel cell)

Grätzel is best known for developing the dye-sensitized solar cell, often referred to as the “Grätzel cell,” that integrates concepts from the DSSC literature, organometallic dyes pioneered by researchers like Brian K. P. Scaife and groups associated with the Royal Society of Chemistry, and porous semiconductor advances from the Bell Laboratories tradition. The device architecture couples nanostructured titanium dioxide electrodes, redox electrolytes related to the I-/I3- redox couple used in earlier electrochemistry studies, and ruthenium-based dyes influenced by coordination chemistry developments at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London. The Grätzel cell has been compared and contrasted with silicon solar cells, thin-film technologies from First Solar, and perovskite photovoltaics advanced at institutions like the University of Oxford and Seoul National University. His seminal publications stimulated industrial partnerships with companies such as Konarka Technologies, G24 Innovations, Dyesol, and start-ups originating from EPFL and ETH Zurich.

Other research contributions

Beyond DSSCs, Grätzel's research encompasses photocatalysis, water splitting, and artificial photosynthesis influenced by work at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion and the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis. He has investigated nanomaterials including graphene derivatives studied at University of Manchester, perovskite semiconductors advanced at Nanyang Technological University, and metal–organic frameworks explored at the University of California, Berkeley. His teams developed photoelectrochemical cells referencing efforts at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and electrocatalysts related to research at Argonne National Laboratory. Grätzel collaborated on sensing technologies that build on fluorescence research from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and surface chemistry concepts from the Weizmann Institute of Science. He has co-authored reviews and papers alongside scientists affiliated with the Royal Society, American Chemical Society, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences contributors.

Awards and honors

Grätzel’s awards include prizes accorded by institutions such as the European Patent Office and societies like the Royal Society of Chemistry, the American Chemical Society, and the Swiss Chemical Society. He received prominent recognitions associated with the European Inventor Award, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award, and medals analogous to honors from the Max Planck Society and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. He has been elected to academies including the European Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering (US), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences. Grätzel has been awarded honorary degrees by universities such as the University of Geneva, University of Strasbourg, and institutions in China and Japan. He served as a keynote speaker at conferences organized by groups like the Materials Research Society, the International Solar Energy Society, and the World Economic Forum.

Personal life and philanthropy

Grätzel resides in Switzerland and has engaged in philanthropy supporting research and education through foundations linked to EPFL, collaborations with the European Research Council, and funding initiatives associated with the Swiss National Science Foundation and technology transfer offices tied to ETH Zurich. He has advocated for renewable energy deployment at forums including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the International Renewable Energy Agency, and worked with non-governmental organizations in Europe and Asia promoting scientific training at universities such as University of Cape Town and University of São Paulo.

Category:Chemists Category:Swiss scientists Category:Photochemists