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Five Research Organizations, One Team
Solar energy is unique among carbon-neutral energy sources for its enormous potential to satisfy the expected doubling of U.S. energy requirements over the next 50 years. The ANSER Center was established in July of 2007 and joins established strengths at Northwestern University (NU) and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) with those of senior personnel at Yale University (Yale), the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), and the University of Chicago (UC) in molecular and nanostructured assemblies, materials, catalysts, and phenomena integral to solar energy conversion and storage. Together, these institutions offer a critical mass of world-class researchers, with unique capabilities and facilities in synthesis, characterization, and theory. The nature and complexity of these problems requires an integrated systems approach that comes only from focused, team-oriented interdisciplinary research with close communication and coordination among team members. A strong multi-disciplinary team approach to solving scientific problems has traditionally been part of NU and Argonne scientific culture. Together, we will advance the broad frontier of solar energy science to produce environmentally benign renewable energy.
Vision: Technologies for Solar Fuels, Electricity
The long-term vision of the ANSER Center is to develop the fundamental understanding, materials and methods necessary to create dramatically more efficient technologies for solar fuels and electricity production. ANSER will achieve this vision by designing and synthesizing new nanoscale architectures and studying them to deepen the understanding of basic solar energy conversion phenomena. The union of synthesis, measurement, theory, and engineering will allow ANSER to create exceptional new energy conversion systems. At the same time, the ANSER Center seeks to create and mentor a technically excellent workforce capable of solving energy-related problems far into the future.
Objective: Fundamental Understanding
The purpose of multi-disciplinary research carried out by the ANSER Center is to develop a fundamental understanding of the:
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Interaction of light and charge with molecules and materials
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Energy levels and electronic structures of molecules and materials
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Dynamics of photo-induced charge generation, separation, and transport with unparalleled temporal and spatial resolution
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Interfaces at which charge generation, separation, transport, and selective chemical reactions occur
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Properties of unique materials, from self-assembling, bio-inspired materials for hydrogen fuel production from water to transparent conductors, and nanostructured hard and soft materials for solar electricity generation
Education and Outreach
The ANSER Center works closely with the NU-based National Center for Learning and Teaching in Nanoscale Science and Engineering (NCLT) to develop outreach programs to the science education community. NCLT participants include Argonne and UIUC, among others as primary partners. ANSER holds joint summer programs with NCLT in the area of undergraduate solar cell and nanotechnology research, professional development, summer research for science teachers, and year-round research with faculty members from partnering minority institutions. Web-based educational materials on solar energy conversion and Web podcasts on topics in the field of solar energy conversion are currently under development. These will be made available broadly to the general public and the K-16 educational establishment.
Contact ANSER
Phone: 847-467-4910
2145 Sheridan Road
Evanston, IL 60208-3113
ANSER@northwestern.edu
March 2009
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