Henry Snaith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Snaith
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Henry Snaith in 2015
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Henry James Snaith
January 1978 (age 47) |
| Education | Gresham's School |
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| Thesis | Polymer based photovoltaic diodes (2005) |
| Doctoral advisor | Richard Friend |
| Other academic advisors | Michael Grätzel |
Henry James Snaith (born 1978) is a top professor of physics at the University of Oxford. He is famous for his work on solar cells. His research has led to a new way of making solar cells using special materials called perovskites.
Many students who worked with Professor Snaith have gone on to start their own research groups and companies. In 2010, he helped start a company called Oxford Photovoltaics. This company works on making and selling solar cells that use perovskites.
Education and Early Career
Henry Snaith went to Gresham's School from 1989 to 1996. He then studied at the University of Bristol. Later, he earned his PhD in 2005 from the University of Cambridge. His PhD research focused on solar cells made from polymers, which are types of plastics.
After his PhD, Snaith worked for two years as a researcher with Michael Grätzel. This was at a university in Switzerland called the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. In 2006, he returned to Cambridge. He then moved to the University of Oxford, where he became a professor.
Discoveries and Research
Professor Snaith's research focuses on finding new materials for making low-cost solar cells. Solar cells turn sunlight into electricity. He has made many important discoveries.
He was the first to show how to use a special structure called "gyroid" in dye solar cells. He also showed how to make tiny, perfect crystals of titanium dioxide.
One of his biggest discoveries was finding very efficient solar cells. These cells are made from thin films of materials called organometal trihalide perovskites. This discovery has changed how scientists think about solar energy. It has opened up a whole new area of research.
His work aims to make solar power much cheaper and more efficient. This could help provide clean energy for homes and large power plants.
Awards and Recognition
Professor Snaith has received many awards for his important work.
- In 2012, he won the Institute of Physics Clifford Paterson Medal and Prize. This was for his contributions to solar cells.
- In 2013, the science magazine Nature named him one of the "ten people who mattered" in science.
- In 2014, he received the MRS Outstanding Young Investigator Award.
- In 2015, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- Also in 2015, he was ranked as one of "The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds." This list identifies scientists who have made a big impact in their field.
- In 2016, he received the EU-40 Materials Prize.
- In 2017, he was awarded the Institute of Physics James Joule Medal and Prize. This was for his discovery and development of perovskite solar cells.
- In 2020, he received the Becquerel Prize. This award honored his work on using perovskites in solar cells.
