Interface Science Department

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”.

Revealing catalyst restructuring and composition during nitrate electroreduction

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 (2025). doi: 10.1038/s41563-024-02084-8

Rationally Designed Laterally-Condensed-Catalysts Deliver Robust Activity and Selectivity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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
 

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

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
 

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

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
 

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
 

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

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

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 ...

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

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

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

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

Tailoring the Catalytic Properties of Metal Nanoparticles via Support Interactions

M. Ahmadi, H. Mistry, B. Roldan Cuenya, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 7, 3519 (2016).

ISC News

Layered brown spheres form a pyramid structure, surrounded by molecular diagrams and stylized lightning bolts.

Researchers from the Interface Science Department (ISC) of the Fritz Haber Institute and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) have provided insight into the significant morphological changes that Cu surfaces undergo during the electrochemical reduction of CO2, which influences the type of products formed. This combined theory (UCLA)-experimental ISC-FHI) study highlights the importance of specific surface defects, that are created and transformed in the course of the reaction, for enhancing the efficiency of CO2 conversion into industrially valuable chemicals. more

Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya Elected as Fellow of the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE)

The Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society is thrilled to announce that our Managing Director and Director of the Interface Science Department, Prof. Dr. Beatriz Roldán Cuenya, has been honored with the prestigious title of Fellow of The International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) for the year 2025.
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Dr. Mathieu Lizée Receives Prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship

The Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society proudly announces that Dr. Mathieu Lizée has been awarded the esteemed Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship. This prestigious fellowship will support Dr. Lizée's research over the next two years, starting in June 2025. more

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