Professor Michael Grätzel is a preeminent scientist renowned for his transformative contributions to photoelectrochemical energy conversion and renewable energy technologies. Born in Dorfchemnitz, Germany in 1944, he earned his chemistry degree from the Free University of Berlin in 1968 and completed his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry at the Technical University of Berlin in 1971. Following postdoctoral research at the University of Notre Dame, he joined the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland as an associate professor in 1977, becoming a full Professor of Physical Chemistry in 1981 where he founded and continues to direct the Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces. His distinguished career has included numerous distinguished visiting professorships at institutions including Cornell University, UC Berkeley, and the National University of Singapore, establishing him as a global leader in sustainable energy research.
Grätzel pioneered the development of dye-sensitized solar cells, which bear his name and revolutionized the field of photovoltaics through a novel approach to solar energy conversion using mesoscopic materials. His groundbreaking research on energy and electron transfer reactions in nanocrystalline oxide films produced solar cells that are relatively inexpensive to manufacture while possessing unique practical properties including flexibility and transparency. These innovations have been commercially produced at multi-megawatt scale, particularly for applications in portable electronic devices and building-integrated photovoltaics, with over 1,700 scientific publications and more than 80 patents documenting his extensive contributions. The significance of his work extends beyond the dye-sensitized cells themselves, as they directly inspired the development of perovskite solar cells, representing the most exciting breakthrough in the recent history of photovoltaics.
His research impact is evidenced by over 220,000 citations and an h-index of 218, placing him among the most influential scientists according to bibliometric analyses, with a recent Stanford University ranking placing him first among 100,000 leading scientists worldwide. Professor Grätzel's contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including the Millennium Technology Prize, the Balzan Prize, and the King Faisal International Science Prize, reflecting the transformative nature of his work on sustainable energy solutions. He maintains an active research agenda advancing photoelectrochemical devices for generating electricity and fuels from sunlight, with applications extending to hydrogen generation and carbon dioxide reduction. As a mentor to generations of researchers and a driving force in renewable energy technology, his scientific legacy continues to shape the global pursuit of clean energy solutions.
