•At RUC we do research on the nano crystalline titanium dioxide dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) or the Grätzel solar cell, which is a promising new type of solar cell for the conversion of sun light into electricity. Our main focus is to improve the durability of the DSC.

•In order to obtain long durability of the DSC the dye need to be stable during solar cell operation. We try to understand all “what can go wrong” with different types of DSC dyes.  Based on a detailed knowledge of the chemical reactions responsible for the dye degradation ex. at  high temperatures (> 75 °C)  it is possible to suggest countermeasures which will improve the life time of the dye and thereby the life time of the solar cell. As the first group in the world we apply high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for the mapping of the dye degradation reactions of the DSC. Furthermore NMR and calorimetry is used in our investigations of the DSC dye chemistry.

•Besides the solar cell research I participate in many research projects with my biology colleagues’ on the measurements of environmental pollutants, peptides, membrane lipids by means of LC-MS and GC-MS (gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry).