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Sunlight, dyes and electric cars: New Faces of Chemistry videos launched!

Learn Chemistry launches brand new videos in collaboration with BASF showcasing cutting-edge research on organic photovoltaics.

Organic photovoltaics are a hot research area at the moment, and they are the theme of our latest instalment to the Faces of Chemistry collection. We have teamed up with the global chemical company BASF to produce a new set of videos on organic photovoltaics (organic solar cells).

Filmed in Ludwigshafen (Germany), Dr Ingmar Bruder, Project Team Leader and the star of the show, tells us how organic solar cells work and where we could find them in the future. One application that Ingmar and his team have been working on is integrating organic solar cells onto the rooftop of Daimler’s new Smart Forvision concept car. With BASF’s expertise in producing dyes, Ingmar and his team created a new dye-class which converts the sunlight’s energy into electrical energy – powering the multimedia and ventilation system in the car. Find out more by watching the videos.



Ingmar is a natural actor in these videos! In fact, we were so impressed, we wanted to produce a teaser video in German too! So if you want to test your German then why not watch our video in German, ‘Gesichter der Chemie’.

Dr Ingmar Bruder discussing the design of an organic solar cell

Not only are these videos valuable from an educational point of view, they also highlight where chemistry can take you in the future. If I was still working in a lab, this is exactly the sort of work I would want to be doing!

What is Faces of Chemistry?
For those of you who aren’t already in the know, Faces of Chemistry is an exciting series of videos from the RSC, aimed at students aged 11-19. The videos give insight into real-life applications of chemistry and highlight the latest cutting-edge research involved in making new products and technologies. Produced in collaboration with leading chemical companies and academic institutes, Faces of Chemistry also showcases the diversity of professional careers available to students of chemistry. Other videos include catalysts (Johnson Matthey), crop protection products (Syngenta) and hair colourants (Procter & Gamble).

We hope you enjoy these videos and be sure to watch the space for more Faces of Chemistry videos in the coming months.
Posted by Richard Grandison on Apr 19, 2012 4:56 PM Europe/London

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