Yunsheng Qiu

PhD Student

Research on the catalysis at liquid interface holds tremendous scientific and technological potential for the rational design of heterogeneous electrocatalysis processes. It has been studied incessantly towards the tailoring of catalysts' surface active site and dynamic prevailing of liquid interface reactions. Currently, progress in advanced characterization methodologies allows for partial/dynamic electrochemistry to be facilitated greatly but at an indeterminate status. The discovery of new (organic) liquid phases and coordinating support materials has been accelerating the development of catalysis studies of liquid interfaces. However, reaction mechanisms and fundamental understanding of the electrochemical interface are still insufficiently explored. The needed model studies include functionalized ionic liquids/organics, liquid alloys, planar substrates with defined cavities at the nanoscale and well-ordered metallic/metal-oxide nanostructures.

The goal of my Ph.D. research is to construct model SCILL (catalysis at ionic/metal integrated interfaces) system, and study the catalytic interface reaction, electrochemical robustness of selected model monocrystalline surfaces through our state of art in-situ electrochemistry characterization methods (i.e. SFC-ICP-MS, EC-IR). Understand the specific influences of ionic liquid/organic interface modifications. The interested electrocatalysis process would be electro-reduction reactions (i.e. ORR, CO₂RR).