Who We Are !
Group leader
Prof. Paola Vivo
Professor of Material Chemistry, specifically Solar Driven Chemistry
I believe in the enormous potential of solar energy to solve some of the biggest challenges of our times, i.e. climate change and the rapid decrease in energy resources. I want to contribute to the world research on the next-generation solar cells by exploring novel materials and device architectures for efficient, stable, and nontoxic photovoltaics. Our research at the Hybrid Solar Cells team (HSC) aims at developing low-cost and eco-friendly materials in bulk and nanocrystals for photovoltaic applications. In particular, we design and synthesize solution-processable organic semiconductors and hybrid organic-inorganic halide perovskites. Finally, we optimize materials and device architectures to enable high-performing and stable solar cells with reduced toxicity.
paola.vivo@tuni.fi ⋅ Paola Vivo (0000-0003-2872-6922) – ORCID
Senior Research Fellow
Murthy Grandhi
Postdoctoral Researchers
Krishnaiah Mokurala
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Researcher
krishnaiah.mokurala@tuni.fi ⋅ Dr Krishnaiah Mokurala (0000-0001-9258-2607) – ORCID
Current Research :
- Self powered NIR photodetector for wearable health care applications.
- Lead free perovskite inspired materials for indoor and outdoor photovoltaic applications.
Akhil Alexander
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
akhil.alexander@tuni.fi ⋅ Akhil Alexander (0000-0003-4528-4134) – ORCID
Current Research :
- Perovskite inspired materials for photovoltaic applications.
- Charge carrier transport and recombination dynamics of photovoltaic devices.
Tuhin Samanta
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
tuhin.samanta@tuni.fi Tuhin Samanta (0000-0003-0746-349x) – ORCID
Current Research :
- Silicon-Perovskite tandem solar cell.
- Lead-free, perovskite inspired metal halide solar absorbers.
Cetin Guvenc
Post doctoral research fellow
cetin.guvenc@tuni.fi C. Meric Guvenc (0000-0001-9197-5310) – ORCID
I am a materials scientist specializing in the synthesis and characterization of semiconductor nanocrystals with a focus on halide perovskite and chalcohalide systems. My research explores the formation mechanisms, surface passivation, and optoelectronic properties of perovskite nanocrystals, aiming to enhance their performance in advanced photonic and energy applications. I have hands-on experience with various characterization techniques, including SEM, TEM, XRD, and optical spectroscopy (PL, UV-Vis, PL lifetime, and quantum yield). My broader interests include colloidal nanochemistry, light–matter interactions, and the development of stable, heavy-metal-free nanocrystalline materials for opto-electronic technologies.
Yi Han
Basheer Al-Anesi
Post doctoral research fellow
basheer.al-anesi@tuni.fi ⋅ Basheer Al-Anesi (0000-0001-8347-9309) – ORCID
Doctoral Researchers
Paavo Mäkinen
Noora Lamminen
Doctoral Researcher
noora.lamminen@tuni.fi ⋅ Noora Lamminen (0000-0001-7655-5676) – ORCID
I am a doctoral researcher interested in lead-free perovskite-inspired materials and solar cells. I earned my Bachelor of Engineering in Laboratory Engineering from Tampere University of Applied Sciences in 2019, followed by a Master of Science (Technology) from Tampere University in 2022. My master’s thesis, titled “Development of Antimony-Based Perovskite-Inspired Solar Cells,” marked the beginning of my ongoing research into antimony-based perovskite-inspired materials. I have been awarded personal research grants from the Emil Aaltonen Foundation to support my doctoral studies.
Research interests: Perovskites, perovskite-inspired materials, solar cells, indoor photovoltaics
Skills: Solar cell fabrication and characterization (1-Sun, indoor, quantum efficiency), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)
Other interests: Swimming, audio books
Sami Toikkonen
Doctoral Researcher
sami.toikkonen@tuni.fi ⋅ Sami Toikkonen (0000-0002-3274-8879) – ORCID
About me
- Bachelor’s degree completed in spring 2020: thesis about flexible perovskite solar cells
- Master’s degree completed in spring 2023: thesis about lead-free perovskite-inspired solar cells and indoor photovoltaics
- Doctoral research started in autumn 2023: working title for dissertation ‘Perovskite-based indoor photovoltaics’
Research interests: Perovskites, perovskite-inspired materials, solar cells, indoor photovoltaics
Skills: Solar cell fabrication and characterization (1-Sun, indoor, quantum efficiency), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)
Other interests: video games, music
Ville Holappa
Doctoral Researcher at VTT ⋅ Ville Holappa (0000-0002-0809-4596) – ORCID
Eetu Karpiola
Doctoral Researcher
Milan Saju
Doctoral Researcher (Marie Curie)
milan.saju@tuni.fi Milan Saju (0009-0004-6346-9276) – ORCID
I hold a Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry from Mahatma Gandhi University, India. Following my postgraduate studies, I worked as a Project Assistant at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, where I also completed my Master’s thesis research on colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals, focusing on their synthesis, characterization, and optoelectronic applications. Currently, my research centers on the development of inorganic charge transport materials for indoor photovoltaic devices.
Reem Khanfar
Doctoral Researcher (Marie Curie)
I’m a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions PhD researcher within the MENTOR project, with a strong interest in next-generation solar technologies and a particular focus on perovskite materials.
I hold an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree in Chemical Nano Engineering, during which I conducted my thesis research at the Centre for Hybrid and Organic Solar Energy (CHOSE) in Rome, Italy. My work there centered on the chemical and electrical engineering of 2D perovskite absorbers, including optimizing ink formulations, fine-tuning annealing processes, controlling crystal growth, and fabricating p–i–n and n–i–p solar cell architectures.
Currently, my PhD research focuses on perovskite-inspired materials (PIMs), specifically bismuth-based perovskites for indoor photovoltaics, hoping to get one step closer to making solar energy more accessible, efficient, and environmentally friendly .
Bidyashakti Dash
Doctoral researcher
Researchers
Mohammad Cheraghi
Visiting researcher
My name is Mo, and I hold a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Iran, and an M.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from Tampere University. During my master’s, I gained experience in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) through my thesis in which I assessed the environmental impacts of bio-based feedstocks for renewable chemicals.
I joined HSC Research Group in September 2025 as a researcher, applying my background in chemistry, materials science, engineering, and LCA to the Renewable Energy Section. My current research focuses on lead-free, perovskite-inspired materials (PIMs) for indoor photovoltaics (IPVs), including their fabrication and optical, structural, optoelectronic, and device-level performance characterization, targeting to optimize material properties and device efficiency.
Oliver Anderson-Shah
Visiting researcher
Oliver is joining the Hybrid Solar Cells group as a researcher for 6 months, having graduated with a Master’s degree in Materials Science from Cambridge University, winning the Armourers and Brasiers’ Medal and Prize for his degree performance.
His interests include research to realise the energy transition, new and varied approaches to generating renewable energy, energy storage, harnessing ambient energy, and viewing this work through the lenses of sustainability and climate justice.
He is excited to be contributing to present work in Professor Paola Vivo’s group centred around improving the device performance of solar cells using Cs2AgBiI9 as their active layer, as well as learning from the research group and its environment.
Outside the lab, he enjoys exploring in nature and creating music joyously. In April 2026 he will commence studying for a PhD on extracting energy from thermal batteries under Professor Louise Hirst at the University of Cambridge.
Alumni
Our former group members are listed here