Research within WISE

Functional materials constitute the physical components of future, more environmentally friendly technologies and circular economies. Within WISE, fundamental and need-driven materials science is conducted in four thematic areas, distributed across five different material research domains.

In Uppsala, research is located at the departments of materials science, electrical engineering, physics, and chemistry, all housed in the Ångström Laboratory, as well as at the Department of Earth Sciences.

The research focuses on materials for light harvesting (artificial photosynthesis and semiconductor solar cells), energy storage (batteries and metal hydrides), and magnetic materials for energy conversion. Expertise is available in advanced theoretical modeling, synthesis and characterization, as well as the development and use of large-scale facilities such as Tandem Lab and MAX IV.

Studies on the flow of critical materials needed for a sustainable energy transition are also conducted, particularly when and why this may be a problem, and how it can be avoided through measures such as substitution and recycling.