Interface Science Department
Our department investigates the unique structural, electronic, vibrational and chemical properties of size- and shape-selected nanostructures and thin films and their interfaces with gas and liquid environments.
Understanding the interplay between the numerous factors determining the physico-chemical behavior of such systems is crucial for optimizing their efficiency for applications in catalysis and more specifically in energy conversion. To this end, advanced synthesis methods and in situ / operando surface/bulk-sensitive characterization techniques are being employed in our department for the fundamental understanding of catalysts “at work”.
Carbonate anions and radicals induce interfacial water ordering in CO2 electroreduction on gold
Y.-W. Zhou, E. Ibáñez-Alé, N. López, B. Roldan Cuenya, C. S. Kley, Nature Chemistry 2025, DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-01977-8
Interfacial solvation pre-organizes the transition state of the oxygen evolution reaction
R. Martinez-Hincapie, J. Timoshenko, ... A. Bergmann, B. Roldan Cuenya, S. Z. Oener, Nature Chemistry 2025, DOI: 10.1038/s41557-025-01932-7
Morphological and chemical state effects in pulsed CO2 electroreduction
L. C. Tănase, M. J. Prieto, L. de Souza Caldas, A. Tiwari, F. Scholten, P. Grosse, A. Martini, J. Timoshenko, T. Schmidt, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Catalysis 2025, DOI: 10.1038/s41929-025-01387-6
Revealing catalyst restructuring and composition during nitrate electroreduction
A. Yoon, L. Bai, F. Yang, ..., M. C. O. Monteiro, S. W. Chee, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Materials 24, 762 (2025).
Rationally Designed Laterally-Condensed-Catalysts Deliver Robust Activity and Selectivity
Z. Li, E. Öztuna, K. Skorupska ..., R. Schlatmann, K. Reuter, B. Roldan Cuenya, R. Schlögl, Nature Comm. 15, 10660 (2024).
Adsorbate Configurations in Ni Single-Atom Catalysts during CO2RR
A. Martini, J. Timoshenko, P. Grosse, C. Rettenmaier, D. Hursán, G. Deplano, H. Jeon, A. Bergmann, B. Roldan Cuenya, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133, 228001 (2024).
Exploring dynamic solvation kinetics at electrocatalyst surfaces
F. Sarabia, C. Gomez-Rodellar, B. Roldan Cuenya, S. Z. Oener, Nature Comm. 15, 8204 (2024).
Key intermediates and Cu active sites for CO2 electroreduction to ethylene and ethanol
C. Zhan, F. Dattila, C. Rettenmaier, A. Herzog, M. Herran, T. Wagner, F. Scholten, A. Bergmann, N. López, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Energy 2024
Time-resolved operando insights into the tunable selectivity of Cu–Zn nanocubes during pulsed CO2 electroreduction
A. Herzog, M. Rüscher, H. S. Jeon, J. Timoshenko ..., A. Bergmann, B. Roldan Cuenya, Energy Environ. Sci. 2024
Reversible metal cluster formation on Nitrogen-doped carbon controlling electrocatalyst particle size with subnanometer accuracy
J. Timoshenko, ..., B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Comm. 15, 6111 (2024).
Role of Fe Decoration on the Oxygen Evolving State of Co3O4 Nanocatalysts
F. Haase, ... J. Timoshenko, A. Knop-Gericke, T. Lunkenbein, S. Schulz, A. Bergmann, B. Roldan Cuenya,
Energy Environ. Sci. 17, 2046 (2024).
Ion solvation kinetics in bipolar membranes and at electrolyte–metal interfaces
C. G. Rodellar, J. M. Gisbert-Gonzalez, F. Sarabia, B. Roldan Cuenya, S. Z. Oener, Nature Energy 9, 548 (2024).
Comparative Study of Co3O4(111), CoFe2O4(111) and Fe3O4(111)
E. M. Davis, A. Bergmann, C. Zhan, H. Kuhlenbeck, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Comm. 14, 4791 (2023).
Unraveling surface structures of Ga-promoted transition metal catalysts in CO2 hydrogenation
S. W. Lee, M. Lopez-Luna, N. Berdunov, W. Wan, S. Kunze, S. Shaikhutdinov, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Comm. 14, 4649 (2023).
Atomic-scale Surface Restructuring of Copper Electrodes Under CO2 Electroreduction Conditions
R. Amirbeigiarab, J. Tian, A. Herzog, C. Qiu, A. Bergmann, B. Roldan Cuenya, O.M. Magnussen, Nature Catalysis 6, 337, (2023).
Nanoscale electron transfer variations at electrocatalyst-electrolyte interfaces resolved by in situ conductive atomic force microscopy
M. Munz, J. Poon, W. Frandsen, B. Roldan Cuenya, C.S. Kley, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 5242 (2023).
Size effects and active state formation of cobalt oxide nanoparticles during the oxygen evolution reaction
F. T. Haase, A. Bergmann, T. E. Jones, J. Timoshenko, A. Herzog, H. S. Jeon, C. Rettenmaeier, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Energy 7, 765 (2022).
Steering the structure and selectivity of electrocatalysts by potential pulses
J. Timoshenko, A. Bergmann, C. Rettenmaier, A. Herzog, O. Magnussen, B. Roldan Cuenya et al. Nature Catal. 2, 259 (2022).
Operando high-pressure investigation of size-controlled CuZn catalysts for the methanol synthesis reaction
N. J. Divins, D. Kordus, J. Timoshenko, B. Roldan Cuenya et al. Nature Comm. 12, 1435 (2021).
Potential‐dependent morphology of copper catalysts during CO2 electroreduction revealed by in situ AFM
G. H. Simon, C. S. Kley, B. Roldan Cuenya, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 59, 2561 (2021).
In situ/operando electrocatalyst characterization by X-ray absorption spectroscopy
J. Timoshenko, B. Roldan Cuenya, Chem. Rev. 49, 6884 (2020).
The role of in situ generated morphological motifs and Cu(I) species in C2+ product selectivity during CO2 pulsed electroreduction
R. M. Arán-Ais, F. Scholten, S. Kunze, R. Rizo, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Energy 5, 317 (2020).
Dynamic transformation of cubic copper catalysts during CO2 electroreduction and its impact on selectivity
P Grosse, A. Yoon, C. Rettenmaier, A. Herzog, S. W. Chee, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Commun. 12, 6736 (2021).
Imaging electrochemically synthesized Cu2O cubes and their subsequent evolution ...
R. M. Arán-Ais, R. Rizo, P. Grosse, G. Algara Siller, K. Démbélé, M. Plodinec, T. Lunkenbein, S. W. Chee, B. Roldan Cuenya, Nature Commun. 11, 3489 (2020).
Shape-Controlled Nanoparticles as Anodic Catalysts in Low Temperature Fuel Cells
R. Rizo, B. Roldan Cuenya
ACS Energy Lett. 4, 1484 (2019).
Dynamic Changes in the Structure, Chemical State and Catalytic Selectivity of Cu Nanocubes during CO2 Electroreduction
P. Grosse, D. Gao, F. Scholten, I. Sinev, H. Mistry, B. Roldan Cuenya, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 57, 6192 (2018).
Structure- and Electrolyte-Sensitivity in CO2 Electroreduction
R. M. Aran Ais, D. Gao, B. Roldan Cuenya, Acc. Chem. Res. 51, 2906 (2018).
Tailoring the Catalytic Properties of Metal Nanoparticles via Support Interactions
M. Ahmadi, H. Mistry, B. Roldan Cuenya, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 7, 3519 (2016).
