Surface structure-activity-relationship in atomically-defined, ultrathin film perovskite catalysts
Due to the intermittency of renewable electricity, conversion to chemical fuel is a necessity for the success of the transition to sustainable energy. A simple and attractive candidate for climate-neutral fuel is hydrogen, which can be produced directly through electrolysis. But substantial market penetration by commercial electrolysers has been hindered by the absence of high-activity, stable, inexpensive, and earth-abundant, catalytic materials. To develop and exploit these materials, a detailed understanding of the underlying relationships between catalytic activity and atomic-level surface structure is required, which has so far been unattainable due to often-case undefined surface areas and structures, as is the case for today’s record-performance electrocatalysts, i.e. Ni-Fe (oxy)(hydr)oxides. Therefore, epitaxial, atomically defined Ni-Fe-based perovskite thin film catalysts will be investigated with advanced operando characterization tools (including synchrotron-based scattering and spectroscopy, and scanning probe approaches) to achieve the following objectives:

- Revalidate activity trends found for polycrystalline and amorphous structures, disseminating the influence from the bulk electronic structure (composition), bond lengths, crystallographic orientation and surface termination

- Derive an atomistic understanding of the catalysis reaction and degradation mechanisms

- Deduce design rules for beyond-state-of-the-art electrocatalyst materials and communicate them to the catalyst research and production communities for exploitation in “real-world” catalyst materials

The results of SEARCh will thus contribute to the goals of development and deployment of low-carbon technologies in line with the EU’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan and the experienced researcher will receive training in innovative, cutting-edge techniques and attain transferable skills, benefitting from a multidisciplinary, international collaboration.