A post by HZB summerstudent Lucas Sije: When I received my summer student program project proposal, I was dumbfounded as most of the terms therein were completely new to me. I had graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial chemistry and I had studied basic physics but I never imagined doing lots of it.
The travel to Berlin had been planned for close to half a year and June 17th was the day. I had to attend the Bessy II user meeting and thereafter the summer student program. On my arrival in Berlin, I stepped into a new environment where everything was different; when I arrived at 6 pm, the sun was still up, and that’s when my little science of the solstices hit my head. The environment was so green and abundant in oxygen, I could not believe it; – My flu-like symptoms had vanished.
Arriving at Bessy II
At the gates of Bessy II, the Kenyan flag was raised high; a greeting to the country of honour 2023 by Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin. Inside the circular experimental hall, we could see the beam lines. The guide explained what all this was about, but I could not keep it. I was even afraid to walk over the bridges as I believed them to be a source of harmful X-rays. With the group’s confidence, I moved while at their centre and as the introductions progressed I realized that these fears were not justified: there are strict radiation protection rules, preventing harm to persons who work here. I had mixed feelings, with many questions deep down. Was this going to be my workplace for the next two months? Was I able to do it alone? What if something wrong happens while am here? Was it going to affect all operations?
A decision to take
After the user meeting, I met my supervisor and we talked about how to start my project on the preparation, characterization and stability testing of perovskite solar cells. An introduction to the labs in the Integrative Research Institute for the Sciences (IRIS) unveiled new things: I saw the glove boxes for the first time. I had a lot of work to do. In the end, a target result was expected to increase the perovskite solar cell efficiency above 18%. That evening I had to make a decision as a couple of questions crossed my mind. I resorted to developing a passion for what I had never dreamt of doing. In fact, the following day I had to borrow a book to understand what it was all about.
A couple of weeks went by, and I could now use the glove boxes and prepare my own solar cells. But deep in my mind I always remembered how I sweated on the first day in the glove boxes as my trainer watched in surprise as I clumsily tried to move my hands in the giant gloves.
Wednesday group meetings became my greatest opportunity to get directions on how to improve my solar cells. I realized how important multidisciplinary research was as it facilitated an exchange of knowledge and addressed a complex global challenge. My passion for new knowledge became apparent as the efficiency of our solar cells kept improving. We started at 8%, increased to 14%, then to 16%, to 18% and now at 18.5% which is slightly above what was expected of us. I hope the coming days will see even more improvements.
What did I gain?
My practical experience and knowledge of the preparation, characterization and stability testing of perovskite solar cells have improved. The technical terms that seemed a huddle to me have become my daily explanation approach. My problem-solving and critical thinking skills have improved as well as I interacted with a multidisciplinary team. This has shifted my ambitions for the future: Now, I would like to focus on renewable energies, addressing the energy needs of Kenya, a climate change-impacted country in sub-Saharan Africa.
About the Author: Lucas Sije is a graduate assistant at the Technical University of Kenya and an ambassador for chemical safety and security (CSSM-YAN). The summer student programme is his first research fellowship. He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Industrial Chemistry (First Class Honours) from the Technical University of Kenya and is interested in materials for renewable energies.