(6ax) Synergizing Model Surfaces and Real Catalysts for Efficient Electrochemical Energy Conversion

To meet a growing demand for energy, an economically viable transition to sustainable production of fuels should be made by the nation. Reduction of oil and gas consumption and a widespread implementation of renewable hydrogen technologies require significant investments into the R&D of (photo)electrocatalysts. Studies of the fundamental processes that take place on catalyzing surfaces during selective electrochemical reactions provide crucial guidelines for the design and technological implementation of efficient and inexpensive catalysts.

During my postdoc at Stanford, I focused on fundamental studies of materials for electrochemical water splitting. Using atomically precise growth of hetero-structures, I designed artificial surfaces for model studies of the oxygen evolution reaction and was able to establish a correlation between the activity and stability of the materials. In particular, I demonstrated that a single monolayer of ruthenium can facilitate water splitting when located in the subsurface region of an inert oxide material. Furthermore, I was able to precisely track the emergence of catalytic activity as a function of the Ru monolayer location within the inert oxide. Besides, these findings quantitatively answer the key question of surface stabilization: at what thickness an inert coverage can protect an inherently unstable oxide catalyst during water splitting. Broadly speaking, my work has elucidated the role of subsurface chemical species on the catalytic activity of materials.

During my PhD at Drexel University, I developed a low-temperature and energy-efficient approach to the preparation of epitaxial complex oxides using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Although ALD is extensively used in industry for the deposition of binary oxides, the preparation of functional oxides with a complex chemical composition was not developed. I designed the multi-component ALD process and demonstrated how the strain state of such films develop during crystallization. Besides ALD, I worked on chemical modification of polar perovskite oxides for the induced light absorption in the visible spectrum for photovoltaic applications.

Looking into the future, I plan to develop new approaches to fundamental studies of catalysts and catalytic reactions, with the aim to use model surfaces for the guided design of real catalysts. As the electrochemical phenomena are associated with mass/charge transfer and can involve materials transformations, their in situstudies prove most rewarding in providing the fundamental insights. My research interests are best represented by well-controlled synthesis of materials and advanced in situ characterization, including a use of diverse synchrotron radiation facilities. I will present a comprehensive overview of my future research at the poster session.

Teaching Interests:

In addition to leading recitations for the course “Fundamentals of Materials” for several years at Drexel, I mentored visiting scholars, MS and PhD students at Drexel and Stanford. I am interested in teaching major courses related to electrochemistry (electrocatalysis and energy storage), materials chemistry/science and advanced characterization of materials processes.

Viewing research and learning as intimately connected processes, I will be providing both independence and guidance to my team members. Encouraging creativity and enthusiasm, I will lead my team in the realm of research and technologies.