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Abstract
There has been substantial interest in semiconductors based on heavy pnictogen cations, such as Sb or Bi, because of their potential to replicate the exceptional optoelectronic properties of lead-halide perovskites, while overcoming their stability and toxicity limitations [1]. These are referred to as ns2 materials because of the important role of the stable valence s2 electrons in enabling defect tolerance [1]. In this talk, I will discuss the evolution of our understanding of the factors enabling defect tolerance, and promising Bi- and Sb-based materials that have emerged. I will also discuss the potential of using AI to accelerate the optimisation of these emerging materials, particularly the optimisation of film morphology [2], which is often challenging and time-consuming. Finally, I will discuss the case of BiOI, and our development of this material into stable oxide-based photoelectrochemical tandems for bias-free CO2 reduction [3].
[1] Mosquera-Loi, .., Walsh,* Hoye,* Nat. Rev. Chem., 9, 287 – 304 (2025)
[2] Nandishwara, …, Hoye,* Sun,* npj Comput. Mater., 11, 210 (2025)
[3] Andrei, Jagt, …, Hoye,* Reisner,* Nat. Mater., 21, 864 (2022)
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Brief Bio
Robert Hoye is Professor of Materials Chemistry and Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair at the University of Oxford, where he is also a Fellow of St. John’s College. Prof. Hoye completed his PhD at the University of Cambridge (2012-2014), followed by a postdoc at MIT (2015-2016), before returning to the University of Cambridge as a College Research Fellow (2016-2019). In 2020, he moved to Imperial College London as a Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer (Aug. 2022 -). In Oct. 2022, he moved to Oxford as Associate Professor, and was promoted to full Professor in 2026. Prof. Hoye’s group focuses on developing inorganic semiconductors for energy applications, including metal-halide perovskite nanocrystals, and discovery of lead-free perovskite-inspired materials. His group’s research spans from fundamentals (including spectroscopy and computations) to materials synthesis and applications in photovoltaics, light-emitting diodes and detectors.
Prof. Hoye was awarded the 2026 EU-40 Prize from the E-MRS, and the 2024 RSC Beilby Medal and Prize from the RSC. He is CTO of NanoPrint Innovations Ltd..
