Research
My scientific achievements include new insights at the atomic and molecular level into the growth mechanisms and degradation pathways of highly active element-anisotropic and shaped nanoparticles as well as clarifying the active structure of catalyst nanoparticles and the role of cocatalysts in photocatalytic water splitting. These atomic-level insights are important for the rational design of improved catalysts. My independent approach combines operando X-ray scattering with electrochemistry to derive structure-activity relations in electrocatalysts.
Projects
Here you will find a short description of the projects in which I have worked in these years in chronological order.
Technische Universität Berlin (2013-now)
- ANEMEL (ANion Exchange Membrane Electrolysis from Low-grade water sources): Our team is workpackage leader within the workpackage about MEA single cell measurements and I lead the scientific research at Strasser group for the ANEMEL project. https://anemel.eu/
- HIGHLANDER (HIGH performing uLtrA-durable membraNe electroDe assEmblies for tRucks): Our team is workpackage leader within the workpackage about catalyst development.
- GAIA (next Generation AutomotIve membrane electrode Assemblies): Our team is task leader within the workpackage about catalyst development and I lead the scientific research at Strasser group for the GAIA project. GAIA will develop and bring together advanced critical PEM fuel cell components. Link: http://gaia-fuelcell.eu/
- INSPIRE (Integration of Novel Stack Components for Performance, Improved DuRability and LowEr Cost): This European project involves a consortium with members from different countries. In this project, I am the project leader in the Strasser group and our team is task leader in catalyst development. My work within the project is focused on catalyst development for the ORR and fuel cell cathodes. More specifically, synthesis, characterization and testing of octahedral bimetallic and trimetallic Pt based alloys nanoparticles. Besides solvothemral synthesis, the techniques that I have used in the project includes thin film rotating disk electrode (RDE) and operando wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). Link to the website: www.inspire-fuelcell.eu.
- MEOKAT ("Effiziente Katalysatorsysteme für flexible Meerwasserelektrolyseure”): This project was focused on the development of non noble metal based catalysts (i.e. NiFe layered double hydroxides, LDHs) for oxygen evolution from seawater. My work involved the synthesis of the NiFe LDH catalyst by solvothermal methods, its physico-chemical characterization and the electrochemical analysis of the activity and stability in alkaline and near neutral electrolytes (with borate buffer) using RDE. I also analyzed these OER catalysts in alkaline electrolyte by operando WAXS in order to study the OER active structure at the atomic level.
Technical University of Denmark (2009-2013)
- HEISEC: During my postdoc at DTU Nanotech, I was responsible of an ultra high vacuum (UHV) chamber where I have measured the work function of doped silicon surfaces which were modified by thermal annealing and Cesium sputtering using a X-ray photoemission technique (secondary electrons cutoff). The focus of this project was on photon-enhanced thermionic emission for utilization in energy production and realization of a "High Efficiency Integrated Solar Energy Converter, HEISEC".
- CASE: The PhD was part of the “Catalysis for Sustainable Energy program” – CASE, an initiative involving collaborations among several departments at DTU. The topic of my research was the study of the photocatalytic water splitting reaction and photocatalytic systems based on semiconductor nanoparticles (GaZn:NO, TiO2, SrTiO3) loaded with metal/metal oxide cocatalysts (Cr2O3/Rh, Rh, Rh2-yCryO3, Pt, Ni). Several cocatalyst/photocatalyst combinations were tested for gas phase photocatalytic water splitting using silicon based microreactors and the products were detected by a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The combination of highly sensitive microreactors with the investigation of the gas phase reaction was the core of my approach.
Universitá degli Studi di Pavia (2003-2009)
- In the group of prof. Bellani I have worked with single-sided modulation doped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells where the specifically designed energy band structure allows to study the physics of the 2D electron gas. During this period, I have performed optical (photoluminescence) and transport experiments with high magnetic fields and low temperatures at the Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétic Intenses (LNCMI, Grenoble, France).