Join us for the December Characterization User Forum focused on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) capabilities.
DATE: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
TIME: 4:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. ET
LOCATION: 12-0168 (MIT.nano basement teaching space)
- Get to know your Characterization community.
- Bring questions about your data.
- Share your feedback in a user-led town hall.
- Stay up-to-date with facility news.
- Food and drink will be provided.
Each user forum also includes a spotlight talk by a graduate student. The December forum will feature:
One step at a time: How XPS can be used to study surface chemistry degradation and catalytic mechanisms for oxide materials
Speaker
Filip Grajkowski
Graduate Student
Yildiz Group, Laboratory for Electrochemical Interfaces, MIT
Abstract
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a gold standard for surface characterization due its surface sensitivity, its ability to resolve oxidation states, and the fact that the results can be analyzed quantitatively. In this short talk, Grajkowski will discuss ways in which XPS can be used to study how oxide materials (and other related materials systems) behave in high temperature electrochemical applications. Grajkowski will first discuss previous efforts in studying how the surface chemistry of oxides degrades in the presence of environmental poisons using XPS, along with surface chemical strategies to suppress this degradation. He will then discuss how combining XPS measurements with operando capabilities, such as heating and near-ambient gas pressures, enables the study of catalytic reaction mechanisms under realistic conditions and in real time. He will conclude with a brief summary of the XPS capabilities available at MIT and how the community can make the best use of these resources.
Biography
Filip Grajkowski graduated in 2021 with a B.A. in Nanoscience, Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials (NPCAM) from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He now works with Prof. Bilge Yildiz on decarbonizing industrial processes using high temperature electrochemical cells and understanding how surface chemistry can be leveraged in these systems to promote enhanced activity.