Wenxin Mao bound for Cambridge through Royal Society's Newton Fellowship

Exciton Science Research Fellow Dr Wenxin Mao has received a Newton International Fellowship from the Royal Society to continue his research at the University of Cambridge.

This prestigious three-year fellowship comes with a grant of up to £420,000 to support early career researchers to conduct cutting-edge research in the United Kingdom.

Wenxin will join the group of Professor Sam Stranks in 2024 to explore the development of a printable method for producing perovskite luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs).

Wenxin completed his PhD at Monash University under the co-supervision of Professor Udo Bach and the University of Melbourne’s Professor Paul Mulvaney in 2019.

As an Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) Research Fellow and an ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science Research Fellow, his research interests have included the study of growing mechanisms for crystalline halide perovskite materials and their unique responses to light irradiation.

Wenxin’s work has attracted collaborations across Exciton Science and with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, resulting in high-impact research outputs published in prestigious journals, including Nature Materials, Angewandte Chemie, Energy and Environmental Science, and more.

Now, he will turn his attention to LSCs, which function by controlling and directing targeted light through the process of total internal reflection.

While not as efficient as rooftop silicon solar cells, they are cheaper to produce, can be integrated into buildings as windows or skylights, and function well in areas with reduced or ‘diffuse’ sunlight.

“LSCs could be important in urban cities like London, Melbourne and Sydney, bigger cities where there are not enough areas to install solar panels,” Wenxin said.

“They’re putting a lot of funding and policies in place to reach net zero in Europe, and this project is related to that target. We want to help realise that goal.”

After eight years in Melbourne, moving from Australia to the UK is somewhat daunting for Wenxin and his young family.

Nevertheless, the prospect of continuing his career at such a prestigious institution is an exciting one.

“A big relocation to a totally new country will definitely be very challenging,” he said.

“But it's also very inspiring and exciting because we're moving to one of the best universities in the world, where the world-class facilities and top scientists will be a life-long experience for my future research and career. It seems like it's a dream university for many students and postdocs, so I can't deny that offer.”