Seminars

Room: Seminar Room Host: Interface Science Department

Wet-chemical synthesis and catalytic properties of metal clusters of small atomicity without protecting ligands

Following the Dynamics of Nanoparticle Surfaces in Search of New Catalytic Pathways

Understanding mechanisms of work for a wide range of applied nanomaterials begins with identifying “active units” in operating conditions, zooming in on the “active sites” and ends with a model explaining their role for functioning of the material or device. [more]
Copper oxide-derived electrocatalysts are reported to have high activity and selectivity for nitrate electrochemical reduction reaction (NO3RR) to ammonia. However, the cause underlying their enhanced NH3 formation, i.e., the active catalytic site, remains unclear. [more]

Pathways to Enhance Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Identified Through Multi-Scale Modeling Pathways to Enhance Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Identified Through Multi-Scale Modeling

Multi-physical transport processes on multiple scales are occurring in electrochemical devices and components for CO2 electroreduction. These coupled transport processes determine the local environment in the catalyst layer and subsequently also the reaction rates at the catalytic sites. [more]

Four short presentations around the topic ISSP

Dr. Adris Anspoks: Short overview about ISSP // Dr. Aleksejs Kuzmins: X-ray absorption spectroscopy // Dr. Anatolijs Šarakovskis: overview about their activities in spectroscopy // Dr. Gints Kučinskis: Electrochemistry & batteries [more]

In situ studies of Cu catalysed CO2 electroreduction bysoft X-ray STXM and spectro-ptychography

Soft X-ray scanning transmission microscopy (STXM) is a powerful tool for nanoscale materials analysis. [more]

Surprising Elements of Light

Light-driven chemical reactions power all life on earth and photochemistry has been intensely studied for more than a century, but light continues to provide surprising possibilities in driving and monitoring chemical reactions. [more]

Operando SXRD/XAS studies of CoOx epitaxial thin films for OER electrocatalysis

Cobalt oxides are among the best earth abundant catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline and neutral electrolytes. We have undertaken operando studies of two dimensional epitaxial cobalt oxide films [1-2] to gain insights into some questions that remain in debate. [more]

Understanding the Birth of the Catalyst during Pyrolysis Using Synchrotron X-rays

Transition metal-nitrogen-carbon materials (M-N-C catalysts) are promising electrocatalysts in electrochemical applications. High temperature treatment in inert environment (pyrolysis) is the most common method for the synthesis of M-N-C catalysts and critical to achieve high electrocatalyst activity and electronic conductivity. [more]

New Generation of Atomically Dispersed Electrocatalysts

Platinum Group Metal-free (PGM-free) catalysts have been extensively developed for both Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) and Alkaline Exchange Membrane (AEM) fuel cells aiming automotive, stationary and portable applications. In this lecture we will address the critical challenges that our team has faced on the way to practical application of such catalysts. [more]
Fluxionality, or the presence of and interconversion between multiple possible energetic configurations, is vital for understanding a catalyst as it operates under actual reaction conditions. [more]

Chemical challenges facing scalable hydrogen production with alkaline membrane electrolyzers

Commercialized membrane electrolyzers use acidic proton exchange membranes (PEMs). These systems offer high performance but require the use of expensive precious-metal catalysts such as IrO2 and Pt that are nominally stable under the locally acidic conditions of the ionomer. [more]

Dynamic catalytic interfaces: ensembles of metastable states break the rules of catalysis

I will show that dynamic catalytic interfaces exhibit great structural fluxionality in conditions of catalysis, and populate many distinct structural and stoichiometric states, which form a statistical ensemble. [more]
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