Engineer’s research employs semiconductors to better store, use solar energy

NSF Early Career Development grant marks third for UT Arlington in 2013The National Science Foundation has awarded a $400,000 Early Career Development grant to Fuqiang Liu, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering , to improve the way solar energy is captured, stored and transmitted for use. Liu’s process uses semiconductors in an artificial photosynthesis process to capture solar energy. Current methods use hydrogen and oxygen to harness power from the sun. Liu said his team places advanced semiconductors in contact with vanadium or cerium