Materials Chemistry and Catalysis

In-situ TEM of battery materials and electrocatalysts

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Advanced understanding of the electrochemistry occurring at the electrode-electrolyte interface is key to the development and improvement of battery and fuel cell technologies [1], such that these can be implemented as part of the energy transition in a move towards more sustainable energy resources. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) can be used to determine both morphology and crystal structure at the atomic scale, thus in-situ techniques will be employed for monitoring and visualising chemical composition, valence state and morphological changes at the nanoscale during operation. The insight from this can then be used to improve the performance and lifetime of battery materials and electrocatalysts.

One key challenge limiting this study is electron beam-induced effects; mitigations will have to be executed to ensure properties relate the studied materials [2]. Therefore comparison with equivalent ex-situ results and acknowledgment of the limitations of TEM will be vital to ensuring our results are real and reliable.

References

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[1] R.R. Unocic, K.L. Jungjohann, B.L. Mehdi, N.D. Browning, C. Wan, MRS Bull., 2020, 45, 738

[2] M.J. Meijerink, K.P. de Jong, J. Zecevic, Nano Res., 2019, 12, 2355-2363

C.V.

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2025-Present

Postdoc at the Utrecht University, the Netherlands, across both the Materials Chemistry and Catalysis, and the Soft Condensed Matter and Biophysics groups under supervision of Prof dr. Petra de Jongh, Prof dr. Marijn van Huis, and Dr. Peter Ngene

2020 – 2024

PhD in Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK, under the supervision of Prof. Mark D. Symes.

Thesis: NiCuAg: An Electrocatalyst for Sustainable Transformations

2016 – 2020

MChem in Chemistry at Durham University, UK, with international masters research placement in the Inorganic Materials & Catalysis group at TU/e, the Netherlands (Sept 2019 – Feb 2020)

Masters Thesis: Preparation and Optimisation of CuBi₂O₄ Films for Photoelectrochemical Reduction of Carbon Dioxide