Renewable Energy Frontier Research at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

First of all, we would like to express our gratitude to Philip Earis and Carrie Mowatt, as well as their colleagues, for the publication of this special issue on the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOPCAS), and for their appreciation of our work.

The Institute of Physics was founded in 1928. Through the steadfast efforts of generations of scientists, the IOPCAS has become one of China's leading research institutions in physics and related areas. As of December 2010, the IOPCAS had a staff of 479, including 130 research professors and 649 graduate students. In 2003 our institute acquired another entity, the Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics (BNLCP), sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology, making it one of the first six national laboratories in China. The Renewable Energy Frontier Research Laboratory (REFRL) is one of 12 divisions in the IOPCAS and also acts as one of the key laboratories in the CAS. At the REFRL, much attention has been paid to fundamental research on new concepts, new mechanisms, new materials, new devices and new research tools, aiming to provide scientific solutions and seek the core technologies in clean energy conversion, storage and use. More specifically, current activities in the REFRL are focusing on lithium batteries, solar cells and solid-state lighting.

This special issue, which includes 1 review (DOI: 10.1039/c0ee00792g), 2 research articles (DOI: 10.1039/c0ee00791a and DOI: 10.1039/c0ee00808g) and 1 analysis article (DOI: 10.1039/c0ee00777c), provides a unique opportunity for us to exchange recent progress and related ideas with the international scientific community.

The REFRL and the IOPCAS endeavor to foster scientific progress by bringing together top-notch researchers in an open and stimulating environment. We believe that the research laboratory's identity is based on deep understanding and continuous innovations. We look forward to and welcome your cooperation, support, and encouragement, and in the future we expect to make greater contributions together with you for sustainable energy development.

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