Dr. Sebastian Zeki Oener
Sebastian Öner was born in Berlin and studied physics at the University of Konstanz, Germany (2006). After a research stay at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, and completing his diploma thesis on the characterization of micro- and nanoscale defects in polycrystalline solar cells, he moved to the FOM Institute AMOLF in the Netherlands (2012) to pursue a PhD on light-matter interactions at the nanoscale and nanoscale photovoltaic energy conversion. During this time, Sebastian studied electrochemical driving forces and charge carrier extraction of photogenerated electrons and holes. This research sparked his broader interest in electrochemistry.
In 2016, he joined the Boettcher group at the University of Oregon (now UC Berkeley) to conduct research on photoelectrodes and bipolar membranes. Supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the German Research Foundation (DFG), Sebastian made groundbreaking contributions to the field of bipolar membranes (BPMs). He demonstrated that the activity of water dissociation catalysts within the BPM correlates broadly with activity in electrocatalysis under conditions where water needs to be dissociated — throwing the first rope to connect two fields that were thought to be separate before. Beyond these fundamental insights, his work led to the development of BPMs with record-breaking activity and current density, initiating a new research direction within the Boettcher group and generating increased interest in BPMs within the broader electrochemistry community.
In 2020, Sebastian returned to Berlin and joined Beatriz Roldán Cuenya’s Interface Science Department at the Fritz Haber Institute with a DFG return fellowship. He was promoted to group leader at the beginning of 2022. In January 2023, he was awarded the ERC Starting Grant, as well as grants from DFG-ANR and the BMBF (German Ministry of Education and Research), to conduct fundamental research on interfacial ionic processes in micro- and macroscale bipolar membranes and other electrochemical interfaces.
Despite its relatively young age, the Interfacial Ionics group has made significant strides in understanding the process of interfacial solvation across interfaces and reactions. The group discovered that solvation kinetics—both in bipolar membranes and in electrocatalysis—can be strongly influenced by bias-dependent entropic changes inside the double layer. Importantly, the activation parameters reveal fingerprints of bias-dependent excess charge and electric fields. These properties are central not only in electrochemistry but also in heterogeneous catalysis more broadly. Previously, entropic effects were largely restricted to a small subset of reactions and conditions. The group's work challenges popular experimental and theoretical approaches that overlook bias dependent entropic changes and is crucial for understanding the fundamental nature of overpotentials in electrocatalysis. Beyond these fundamental insights, their research is vital for the development of new electrochemical technologies that leverage knowledge-driven design principles for emerging ionic technologies.
In addition to supervising and mentoring his research group, Sebastian enjoys teaching the MSc course Electrochemistry 2.0 (5 ECTS) in the Chemistry Department of the Free University of Berlin. He plans to expand his teaching activities further in the near future.