O'Brien, Paul (York University)|O'Brien, Paul (Université York)

Purpose

The vast majority of the world's energy consumption is derived from burning fossil fuels, which has caused harm to the environment. One solution is to switch to solar energy. The sun provides an abundant source of energy in the form of broadband radiation. However, it is difficult to transform solar radiation into useful forms of energy such as electricity, heat, and fuels. This research program focuses on developing a new class of materials called Transparent Selectively Permeable Heat Mirrors (TSPHM), which are capable of controlling the flow of solar radiation, heat, and chemicals, and can be used to facilitate solar energy conversion.