In-situ x-ray and electrochemical characterisation of energy materials

Description

Electrochemical processes play a crucial role in our daily life and underpin many technologies such as corrosion inhibition, metal plating, energy supply through batteries and energy conversion by fuel cells and solar cells. Electrochemistry deals with reactions that involve transfer of electrical charge at interfaces between an electrode and a chemical species in solution. Metal-oxide and bimetallic materials play a major role in many different electrochemical applications, including electrolysis, electrocatalysis and energy storage. Oxygen species play a key part in electrocatalytic reactions.

The project will help to establish structure-stability-reactivity relationships of metal electrodes and their oxides which are of high importance to catalytic applications. Elucidating the role of the individual elements and the resulting structure and distribution of electrons for activity and stability will help to design in the future more widely functional materials from a rational design approach.

These processes will be studied by electrochemical methods which will give insight into nucleation, growth process and stability.  Combined with structural and spectroscopic X-ray methods details about the bonding and atomic charges can be obtain and directly linked to the electrochemical behaviour. Synchrotron radiation (SR) is revolutionising the fundamental understanding of materials through the application of x-ray diffraction and spectroscopy techniques. These techniques give understanding of structural properties across atomic and mesoscopic spatial length scales and are essential for exploiting the next generation of materials. Furthermore, temporal resolution and studies in realistic environments are crucial in areas such as combinational chemistry, materials for energy applications, and functional materials in general.

Training in all aspects of the project will be provided with access to state-of-the-art infrastructure in the University. The student will acquire skills in materials processing and characterisations and in the application of synchrotron radiation for the study of materials.

The experimental work will include laboratory-based characterisation by electrochemical methods and X-ray methods. Travel to various synchrotron (e.g. ESRF (Grenoble), Diamond (Oxford)) is foreseen for the in-situ characterisation by x-ray scattering methods. The Condensed Matter Physics group and the Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy provide an internationally leading research and training environment for PhD students in the fields of Surface & Interface Science, Electrochemistry and Surface Processing.

This PhD studentship will be centered around experiments performed at the XMaS beamline (and possibly also at other beamlines at the ESRF and at other SR sources-Diamond Light Source and Advanced Photon Source). The focus of the experiments will be to exploit SR radiation for the study of materials related to energy applications. In partuicular the experiments will focus on in-situ x-ray studies to probe structure-function relationships in materials such as thin film organic semiconductors and electrocatalysts for water splitting and other electrochemical processes. The student will acquire skills in materials processing and in the application of SR for the study of materials.

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/how-to-apply/ Please ensure you quote the following reference on your application: PPPR037 - In-situ x-ray and electrochemical characterisation of energy materials.