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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 offer a sustainable pathway for next-generation photovoltaics and can be integrated with silicon to enable higher-efficiency tandem solar cells, as well as other emerging photovoltaic and semiconductor applications. 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). His research combines advanced materials engineering, defect chemistry control, and interface optimization to address long-standing performance limitations in kesterite 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 | 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 | 2025
    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, 2025, 'Unassisted Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production Coupled with Selective Glucose Oxidation Using Metal Halide Perovskite Photoanodes', Advanced Functional Materials, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202505281
    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, '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; 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 | 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