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Mr Ao Wang

Mr Ao Wang

Postdoctoral Fellow

PhD in Photovoltaics & Renewable Energy Engineering
University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia
2021 – 2025

Master of Engineering Science in Photovoltaics and Solar Energy
University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia
2018 – 2019

Bachelor of Engineering in Opto-Electronics Information Science and Engineering
Changchun University of Science and Technology, China
2013 – 2017

Engineering
Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

Dr. Ao Wang received his PhD from UNSW in 2025 and is currently a full-time postdoctoral researcher. His research focuses on the development of low-cost, earth-abundant kesterite thin-film solar cells. These materials provide a sustainable platform for next-generation photovoltaics and can be integrated with silicon to enable high-efficiency tandem solar cells, as well as broader applications in emerging photovoltaic and semiconductor technologies. His research combines advanced materials engineering, defect chemistry control, and interface optimization to address long-standing performance limitations in kesterite photovoltaics. Since 2023, Dr. Wang has held the world-record efficiency for CZTS solar cells, as recognized in the Solar Cell Efficiency Tables (Versions 62-67). He has published multiple first-author papers in leading journals, including Nature Energy, Advanced Materials, and Advanced Energy Materials, which have attracted broad media coverage. His work has been recognized with a national government award and several international conference honors for his outstanding contributions to sustainable thin-film photovoltaics.
E-mail
ao.wang2@unsw.edu.au
Location
261WS27, Level 2, Tyree Energy Technologies Building (Building H6), School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW,2052, Australia.
  • Journal articles | 2026
    Yuan X; Huang J; Li J; Sun K; Wang A; Hao X, 2026, 'Device Postannealing with Superficially Ag-Modified Absorber for High-Efficiency Cd-Free Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells', Small Science, 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smsc.202500545
    Journal articles | 2026
    Zhou S; Liu X; Gunawan M; Shan Y; Zhang M; Lucas S; Satriyatama A; Gunawan D; Wang A; Yuan X; Sun K; Amal R; Hao X, 2026, 'Unassisted Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production Coupled with Selective Glucose Oxidation Using Metal Halide Perovskite Photoanodes', Advanced Functional Materials, 36, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202505281
    Journal articles | 2025
    Wang A; Cong J; Zhou S; Huang J; Cao J; Cui X; Yuan X; Yao Y; Xu Z; He G; Liu JZ; Cairney JM; Chen YS; Green MA; Wei SH; Sun K; Hao X, 2025, 'Hydrogen-enhanced carrier collection enabling wide-bandgap Cd-free Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells with 11.4% certified efficiency', Nature Energy, 10, pp. 255 - 265, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41560-024-01694-5
    Journal articles | 2025
    Yuan X; Li J; Zhang L; Huang J; Cong J; Privat K; Xu Z; Yao Y; He G; Wang A; Cui X; Patterson RJ; Sun K; Green MA; Hao X, 2025, 'Disentangling Carrier-Transport and Interfacial Carrier-Recombination by Mitigating Na Interstitials for 11.9% Efficient Cd-Free Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells', Small, 21, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smll.202501905
    Journal articles | 2024
    Shah UA; Wang A; Irfan Ullah M; Ishaq M; Shah IA; Zeng Y; Abbasi MS; Umair MA; Farooq U; Liang GX; Sun K, 2024, 'A Deep Dive into Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) Solar Cells: A Review of Exploring Roadblocks, Breakthroughs, and Shaping the Future', Small, 20, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smll.202310584
    Journal articles | 2024
    Wang A; Huang J; Cong J; Yuan X; He M; Li J; Yan C; Cui X; Song N; Zhou S; Green MA; Sun K; Hao X, 2024, 'Cd-Free Pure Sulfide Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cell with Over 800 mV Open-Circuit Voltage Enabled by Phase Evolution Intervention', Advanced Materials, 36, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adma.202307733
    Journal articles | 2024
    Wang A; Huang J; Yan C; He G; Cui X; Yuan X; Zhou S; He M; Qiu T; Zhao C; Green MA; Sun K; Hao X, 2024, 'Cd-Free High-Bandgap Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cell with 10.7% Certified Efficiency Enabled by Engineering Sn-Related Defects', Advanced Functional Materials, 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202407063
    Journal articles | 2024
    Yuan X; Li J; Sun K; Huang J; Cui X; Wang A; Xie B; Hoex B; Green M; Hao X, 2024, 'Improved carrier collection efficiency in CZTS solar cells by Li-enhanced liquid-phase-assisted grain growth', Ecoenergy, 2, pp. 181 - 191, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece2.31
    Journal articles | 2024
    Zhou S; Sun K; Toe CY; Huang J; Wang A; Yuwono J; Kumar P; Wan T; Zhang D; Ma Z; Vongsvivut J; Chu D; Hao X; Amal R, 2024, 'Solar driven ammonia synthesis with Co-TiOx and Ag nanowires enhanced Cu2ZnSnS4 photocathodes', Applied Catalysis B Environmental, 348, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2024.123836
    Journal articles | 2023
    Cui X; Sun K; Huang J; Sun H; Wang A; Yuan X; Green M; Hoex B; Hao X, 2023, 'Low-Temperature Plasma-Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnMgO for Efficient CZTS Solar Cells', ACS Materials Letters, 5, pp. 1456 - 1465, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsmaterialslett.2c01203
    Journal articles | 2023
    Wang A; He M; Green MA; Sun K; Hao X, 2023, 'A Critical Review on the Progress of Kesterite Solar Cells: Current Strategies and Insights', Advanced Energy Materials, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202203046
    Journal articles | 2022
    Li J; Huang J; Cong J; Mai Y; Su Z; Liang G; Wang A; He M; Yuan X; Sun H; Yan C; Sun K; Ekins-Daukes NJ; Green MA; Hao X, 2022, 'Large-Grain Spanning Monolayer Cu2ZnSnSe4 Thin-Film Solar Cells Grown from Metal Precursor', Small, 18, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smll.202105044
    Journal articles | 2022
    Sun H; Huang J; O’Neill A; Yun JS; Young TL; Yan C; Sun K; Li J; Nielsen MP; Cui X; Wang A; Seidel J; Stride JA; Green MA; Hao X, 2022, 'Manipulating the Distributions of Na and Cd by Moisture-Assisted Postdeposition Annealing for Efficient Kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells', Solar Rrl, 6, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/solr.202200442
    Journal articles | 2022
    Yuan X; Li J; Huang J; Yan C; Cui X; Sun K; Cong J; He M; Wang A; He G; Mahboubi Soufiani A; Jiang J; Zhou S; Stride JA; Hoex B; Green M; Hao X, 2022, '10.3% Efficient Green Cd-Free Cu2ZnSnS4 Solar Cells Enabled by Liquid-Phase Promoted Grain Growth', Small, 18, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/smll.202204392
    Journal articles | 2021
    Sun K; Wang A; Su Z; Liu F; Hao X, 2021, 'Enhancing the performance of Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cell fabricated via successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method by optimizing the annealing process', Solar Energy, 220, pp. 204 - 210, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2021.03.033
    Journal articles | 2021
    Wang A; Chang NL; Sun K; Xue C; Egan RJ; Li J; Yan C; Huang J; Rong H; Ramsden C; Hao X, 2021, 'Analysis of manufacturing cost and market niches for Cu2ZnSnS4(CZTS) solar cells', Sustainable Energy and Fuels, 5, pp. 1044 - 1058, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d0se01734e
    Journal articles | 2019
    Sun K; Yan C; Huang J; Liu F; Li J; Sun H; Zhang Y; Cui X; Wang A; Fang Z; Cong J; Lai Y; Green MA; Hao X, 2019, 'Beyond 10% efficiency Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells enabled by modifying the heterojunction interface chemistry', Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 7, pp. 27289 - 27296, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9ta09576d
  • Conference Papers | 2024
    Wang A; Sun K; Hao X, 2024, 'Absorber engineering for high bandgap Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells', Changchun, presented at The 11th Conference on Science and Technology of Emerging Solar Energy Materials, Changchun, 17 May 2024 - 19 May 2024
    Conference Papers | 2024
    Wang A; Sun K; Hao X, 2024, 'Cd-free high bandgap Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells with 12.1% certified record efficiency', Sydney, presented at Asia-Pacific Solar Research Conference 2024, Sydney, 03 December 2024 - 05 December 2024
    Conference Papers | 2024
    Wang A; Sun K; Hao X, 2024, 'Hydrogen-enhanced carrier collection enables high bandgap Cd-free Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells with 11.4% certified efficiency', Sydney, presented at The 5th Energy Future Conference, Sydney, 18 November 2024
    Conference Papers | 2024
    Wang A; Sun K; Huang J; Green M; Hao X, 2024, 'Beyond 11% certified efficiency for Cd-free high bandgap Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells', Numazu, presented at The 35th International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference, Numazu, 10 November 2024 - 15 November 2024
    Conference Papers | 2023
    Wang A; Sun K; Hao X, 2023, 'Record-level Cd-free kesterite Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cell with over 800 mV open-circuit voltage enabled by Ge incorporation', Beijing, presented at The 10th Conference on Science and Technology of Emerging Solar Energy Materials, Beijing, 05 May 2023 - 07 May 2023
    Conference Papers | 2023
    Wang A; Sun KAIWEN; Hao X, 2023, 'Over 11% efficiency Cd-free high bandgap Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells enabled by bulk and interface engineering', Shenzhen, presented at The 34th International PV Science and Engineering Conference, Shenzhen, 06 November 2023 - 10 November 2023
    Conference Papers | 2022
    Wang A; Sun K; Huang J; Green M; Hao X, 2022, '10.7% efficient Cd-free Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cell with over 800 mV open-circuit voltage enabled by Ge incorporation', Nagoya, presented at The 33rd International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference, Nagoya, 13 November 2022 - 17 November 2022
    Conference Papers | 2022
    Zhang S; He G; Wang A; Yan C; Sun K; Hao X; Perez-Wurfl I; Hameiri Z, 2022, 'Temperature- and illumination-dependent characterisation of wide-bandgap CIGS and CZTS solar cells', in 2022 IEEE 49th Photovoltaics Specialists Conference (PVSC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Philadelphia, USA, pp. 352 - 352, presented at 49th IEEE Photovoltaics Specialists Conference, Philadelphia, USA, 05 June 2022 - 10 June 2022, http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/pvsc48317.2022.9938463

2025 – Research Excellence Award (Early Career Academic Group), UNSW Faculty of Engineering

2025 – Dean’s Award for Outstanding PhD Theses (Top 10%), UNSW

2025 – Best Oral Presentation Award, International Conference on Nanomaterials & Atomaterials Science and Applications (Advanced Awards winners 2025)

2024 – Extraordinary Potential Prize, Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad
(First recipient from New South Wales; Top 20 worldwide)

2024 – PVSEC-35 Award, 35th International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference

2022 – Best Poster Award, 33rd International Photovoltaic Science and Engineering Conference

My Research Supervision

Efficient CZTS solar cells on transparent substrates

My Teaching

Engineering Postgraduate Coursework Research Skills GSOE9010