Tailoring Shape-Controlled Multimetallic Nanoparticles for Conversion of Sustainable Energy

To meet the demands required to reach a sustainable society, it is crucial to apply new CO2 neutral pathways to fuel our society that avoids the large consumption of fossil fuels. With my project enabled by the Villum International Postdoc Programme grant, I will investigate how sustainable energy conversion can be realized by synthesizing and synthetically tune new improved next-generation multimetallic nanoparticle (NP) catalysts for electrochemical conversion. Using these multimetallic nanocatalysts, chemical species such as CO2 or N2 can be electrochemically converted into valuable fuels or chemicals without the use of fossil fuels, which paves the way for a restructuring of the chemical industry as we know it today. As the electrochemical conversion processes are facilitated on the surface of the NP catalysts, the key to develop and eventually implement new efficient catalysts is to elucidate the catalytic behavior on the NP surfaces under real working conditions. Thus, by combining surface-sensitive analysis with examination of the internal atomic structure during working conditions, I will provide a thorough and holistic view of catalytically tuned multimetallic NPs to understand how NPs facilitate essential catalytical reactions. Identifying the crucial descriptor driving these reactions will ultimately enable the ability to rationally design new and highly active catalysts to fuel our future.