PARIS — E.ON AG, an energy corporation based in Dusseldorf, Germany, announced it has submitted a 1 million euro research grant to the Advanced Technology Institute at the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, to conduct an organic-inorganic hybrid photovoltaic project.

Led by Professor Ravi Silva, director of the Advanced Technology Institute, the three-year project will take advantage of the nanotechnological expertise of the Institute in the design, fabrication and characterization of the organic-inorganic hybrid solar cells.

Professor Silva said he and his group at the University of Surrey aim to improve organic material based solar cell technologies and move closer to commercialization, by incorporating inorganic nano-scale materials. Carbon nanotubes can be incorporated into organic cells to enhance their performance.

The University o f Surrey holds patents in developing hybrid systems for practical applications including solar cells and solid state lighting.