Complex of online and onsite lectures on materials for hydrogen generation by solar water splitting

Materials development for solar water splitting and green hydrogen energetics is one of the strategic topics. Future management in this field requires a new generation of scientists and experts that are not only experts in one topic but understands the complex interactions between different aspects related to it. This requires close cooperation combining education and research Institutions and industry. Such training is beyond the capabilities of one academic or industrial group. The aim of the project is to provide such complex training to young researchers. To solve the multidisciplinary task eight teams The Department of Solar Energy, Institute for Energy Technology, Kjeller, the Institute for Mathematics and Physics, University of Stavanger, Department of Physics, University of Oslo, KeraNor AS, Oslo, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers Cedex, France, Department of Ceramic Engineering. Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India and University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India have combined their efforts. Online and onsite lectures, an online and hybrid international schools have been implemented for undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate students, and early-stage researchers. Scientific collaboration has been established through exchange visits of senior and young researchers. Some of the results of the joint research are documented in peer reviewed international journals.

(i) development and implementation of onsite and online lectures that reflected the latest demands and developments in materials and photoelectrochemical water splitting for hydrogen generation; (ii) implementation of exchange visits of Master and PhD students as well as staff; (iii) organizing summer and winter schools in online and hybrid formats; (iv) publication of 12 joint papers in International journals with impact factor >3 and Conference presentations. The project was the platform for establishing the collaboration between the network teams. It has led to joint International projects.

Materials development for conversion of solar energy into storable chemical energy by water splitting using photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) is an important problem. Despite many years of research in this field, there are many challenges to be solved such as, e.g., non-toxic, low cost materials development, device fabrication by scalable methods, extending durability of the cells, understanding degradation mechanism, testing the devices in realistic conditions, life-cycle assessment, recycling, and commercialization. Future management in this field requires a new generation of scientists and experts that are not only experts in one particular topic, but understands the complex interactions between different aspects related to it. This requires close cooperation combining education and research Institutions and industry. Such training is beyond the capabilities of one academic or industrial group. It is the aim of the COOL LONGBOAT project to provide such complex training to young researchers for a future career in this field of technology. To solve the the multidisciplinary task online and onsite lectures will be developed and implemented for undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate students, and early stage researchers, summer schools will be organized; scientific collaboration will be established through exchange visits of senior and young researchers, joint journal articles will be published and a joint proposal will be submitted to continue the collaboration. To solve the above challenges seven teams: (i) the Department of Solar Energy, Institute for Energy Technology, Kjeller, (ii) the Institute for Mathematics and Physics, University of Stavanger, (iii) Department of Physics, University of Oslo, (iv) KeraNor AS, Oslo, (v) Université de Poitiers, Poitiers Cedex, France, (vi) Department of Ceramic Engineering. Indian Institute of Technology, Varanasi, India and (vii) University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan will combine their efforts.