Sustainability, Energy, Environment and Conservation are crucial ingredients of a successful future and the centerpoint of my work. I focus on high efficiency, low environmental impact technologies needed to satisfy our thirst for energy without compromising the integrity of the Earth. Without doubt, these technologies are based (or will be based) on new advanced materials used as efficient catalysts promoting the conversion of chemical to electrical energy, or vice versa. The advancement and breakthroughs in catalytic materials design depends in large part on development of the advanced methods to study them in operando conditions.
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In my research I develop and use X-ray diffraction and imaging techniques which allows to gain a significant insight into the atomistic processes taking place at the catalysts surface during operation of fuel cells, electrolyzers and batteries. I study how the atomic structure affects the final macroscopic catalytic properties, and how to make new materials with atomic precision using electrochemistry techniques.