IREC researcher Alex López García, from the Solar Energy Materials and Systems (SEMS) department, has been awarded one of the Extraordinary Doctorate Awards for the 2023-2024 academic year in the field of Physics, a distinction granted by the University of Barcelona to the best doctoral theses awarded the cum laude distinction.

His doctoral thesis, entitled “Synthesis and characterization of UV-selective oxide-based transparent thin film solar cells”, was supervised by Professor Alejandro Pérez-Rodríguez, head of the SEMS department, and Professor Joaquim Puigdollers González, member of the JRU SEMS-UPC, and was carried out within the Nanoscience PhD programme. The thesis has been recognised for its academic excellence and its contribution to research in advanced photovoltaic technologies. The work focuses on the development and characterisation of transparent solar cells based on ultraviolet-selective oxide materials, a research line with strong potential for innovative applications in sustainable energy and photovoltaic integration.

The Extraordinary Doctorate Awards are granted annually among doctoral theses that receive the cum laude distinction. Candidates are evaluated by committees appointed by each faculty’s doctoral commission and subsequently approved by the Governing Council of the University of Barcelona. This year, the awardees received their accreditation diplomas during an official ceremony held on 28 April 2026 by the Rector of the University of Barcelona, Joan Guàrdia Olmos, and the Vice-Rector for Doctoral Studies, Research Staff in Training, Talent Attraction and Science Outreach, Maria Feliu Torruella.

This recognition highlights the quality of the research carried out at IREC and the institute’s commitment to scientific excellence and innovation in the field of energy transition.