Proton-coupled Electrochemistry of Metal Oxides: From Insertion to Interfacial Phenomena
Speaker
Veronica Augustyn
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University
About This Talk
The electrochemistry of transition metal oxides in aqueous electrolytes across the entire pH scale inevitably involves protons. These can interact with oxide electrodes via numerous reactions, including surface adsorption and bulk insertion, electrodissolution/electrodeposition, and water electrolysis. The diversity of electrochemical reactivity involving protons and metal oxide electrodes provides a rich research landscape, while also complicating mechanistic understanding of important aqueous energy storage and conversion processes. In this seminar, Augustyn will discuss proton-coupled electrochemical reactions in tungsten and titanium oxides, which are among the few non-noble metal oxides that exhibit good stability in strong acids. Her studies include understanding the effects of proton insertion on metal oxide structural dynamics, optical properties, and surface reactivity, as well as the reactivity of protons at oxide surfaces and under confinement in non-aqueous electrolytes.
Biography
Veronica Augustyn is the Jake and Jennifer Hooks Distinguished Scholar in Materials Science and Engineering and Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University. Her research focuses on the electrochemistry of materials, and especially transition metal oxides, for energy and environmental applications. Recent topics include understanding interfacial phenomena, insertion mechanisms, and confinement effects. She is the founder and faculty advisor of an award-winning international project, SciBridge, a student-led group that develops renewable energy research and education collaborations between universities in Africa and the U.S. She supports the materials electrochemistry community as a Scientific Editor of the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, serves on the editorial advisory boards of several journals including ACS Energy Letters, ACS Electrochemistry, and Physical Review Materials, and is a Member-at-Large of the Electrochemical Society Battery Division.
About the MSE Seminar Series
The Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Seminar Series features distinguished speakers from leading institutions, offering a platform for sharing groundbreaking research, innovative ideas, and entrepreneurial experiences. Held multiple times each semester, these seminars bring global perspectives world to MIT’s materials research community, exposing students, faculty, and postdocs to cutting-edge concepts and valuable networking opportunities.