Members

Postdoctoral Research Associates

PhD Students

Position: PhD

Group Member Since: September 2022

Nationality: Indian

Email: p.gunasekaran.22@abdn.ac.uk

Office: O33, Meston Building

Research and background

Position: PhD

Group Member Since: June 2022

Nationality: British

Email: r01ag22@abdn.ac.uk

Office: O33, Meston Building

Research and background

Combining classical electrochemical techniques and single crystal electrode methods with in-situ spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopies, my work focuses on gaining a novel, fundamental level insight and understanding into:

• The kinetic and mechanistic details of electrochemical reactions, focusing on how these depend upon the components of an electrochemical reactor.

• The atomic scale structure and properties of the electrical double layer.

• The application of the above to interesting and relevant problems in electrocatalysis. These include building high efficiency electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices, the next generation of fuel cells and batteries and the conversion of polluting and climate changing waste products into valuable fuels and feedstocks.

In 2022, I completed my MChem degree in chemistry from the University of Aberdeen. During my final year research project at the University of Alicante (Spain), I used a combination of cyclic voltammetry and single crystal electrode methods to investigate the elevated diffuse layer capacitance of the Pt(111) electrode-electrolyte interface. My 4th year individual research project was also in electrochemistry, looking at some fundamental aspects of electrocatalytic oxygen and hydrogen peroxide reduction. In summer 2021, I undertook a summer research project in the Ab Elektro group, with the support of an RSC undergraduate research bursary.

My background and interests are in physical chemistry. A major advantage and attraction to working within this particular field of physical chemistry, is the close interplay between intricate experimental work and theory. Among many examples, having these powerful tools readily to hand, can allow one to extract physical and chemical parameters from structures which extend a mere several nanometres at most from the electrode surface. Or, to detect and monitor a transient, but perhaps crucial, reaction intermediate at the interface that would otherwise be inaccessible. Incredibly, it is also possible to control, atom-by-atom, the crystal structure of electrode surfaces, providing an unprecedented understanding of how surface structure influences reaction energetics and dynamics.

Whilst of great scientific and academic interest, this type of fundamental work really is crucial if we are going to optimise the contribution that electrochemistry and surface science can make to reducing global emissions and realising a circular carbon economy in the future.

Position: PhD

Group Member Since: November 2021

Nationality: Finnish/American

Email: j.shibuya.21@abdn.ac.uk

Office: O33, Meston Building

Research Background and Interest

My PhD focusses on the application of the conversion and storage of electrochemical energy with an emphasis on hydrogen gas. Under the guidance of co-supervisors Prof. Angel Cuesta and Prof. Donald Macphee, I hope to further the understanding of hydrogen reactions at the catalysis-electrolyte interface and apply the knowledge to developing flow-battery cell technology.

I completed my Bsc in Chemistry at the University of Aberdeen where I did my final year research project on the controlled electrochemical deposition of tungsten oxide onto conductive glass for solar panel and battery applications. My interests align with improving the environmental impact of energy production via established and up-coming green technologies such as fuel-cells and batteries.

Position: PhD

Group Member Since: August 2019

Nationality: Mexican

Email: e.avellafernandez.19@abdn.ac.uk

Office: O33, Meston Building

Research Background

I am a PhD student at the University of Aberdeen since July of 2019. The goal of my PhD project is to assemble Z-scheme systems at the interface between two immiscible electrolytes solutions to photocatalyse three target reactions. This configuration would allow a more efficient separation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs compared to typical Z-schemes by transferring the charge carriers to the correspondent electron acceptor/donor in different liquid phases.

I hold a bachelor’s degree (Hons) in Chemical Engineering and a Master´s degree in Environmental Engineering from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). As an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to study the photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole and ciprofloxacin in water. While my master’s studies were focused on the analysis of copper slag, a waste generated from the copper refining process, as a photocatalyst.

Position: PhD

Group Member Since: 2016

Nationality: British

Email: c.wildi@abdn.ac.uk

Office: Room 055, Meston Building

Research Interests:

I completed my MChem at the University of Aberdeen in 2015. During my undergraduate studies I worked on projects involving cyanide modified Pt(111) surfaces. In my final year placement in Ulm, Germany, I used density functional theory to study the surface-alloying of silver on platinum.

My PhD studies are directed at liquid/liquid photoelectrochemistry. We are interested in studying the behaviour of photoradicals at the liquid/liquid interface using electron paramagnetic resonance.

Group Member: 2015 - 2019

Nationality: Nigerian

Email: r01oa15@abdn.ac.uk

Office: Room 055, Meston Building

Background and Research Interests:

I obtained a bachelor’s degree in industrial chemistry from Madonna University, Nigeria(2012) and an MSc degree in oil and gas chemistry from Aberdeen University(2015) after which I stayed back to do research.

During my PhD I worked on the electro reduction reaction of CO2 occurring at the cathode of an electrolyser. From existing literature, and depending on the electrolyte used, the electrode material, and the potential applied, a wide range of products can be obtained from this process. The major challenge associated with this research is finding a durable combination of electro catalyst and electrolyte with which reduction of CO2 can proceed with high energy efficiency and high product selectivity, so that the process can be economically viable.

For this reason I studied the cathodic reduction process of CO2 in organic solvents, in which anion radicals are much more stable with the aim of getting a deep knowledge of the reaction mechanism, i.e., of the reaction intermediates and of the active sites on the catalyst surface. This was the major goal of my research

I have interest in women empowerment and child welfare/education and I hope to be an active participant of this cause and also influence my local community. My hobbies are reading, travelling, spending time with family, swimming and eating.

Group Member: 2014 - 2017

Nationality: Chinese

Email: jiabole@xmu.edu.cn

Current position: PDRA at Xiamen University, China

Research Interests:

From October 2010 to July 2013, I was studying in East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST), and then studied in Queen’s University of Belfast (QUB) for one year as an exchange student. I received my bachelor degree in June 2014, and then joined the research group of Ab-Elecktro in Aberdeen as a Ph.D student until now.

My research interest is investigating the electric double layer in the electrode/water interfaces with ab-initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), including the structure of interfacial water under different electrode potential and the capacitance of the electric double layer.

Group Member: November 2015 - August 2019

Nationality: Chinese

Email: r01xy15@abdn.ac.uk

Current position: PDRA at Xiamen University, China

B.Sc. in Beijing University of Chemical Technology (2014)

MPhil. In Queens University Belfast (2015)

Research Background:

02/2014 – 06/2014 – Level 3 Research Project entitled “Selectivity of hydrogenation in acetanilide to N-Ethylaniline by using platinum and tin on titanium dioxide and aluminum dioxide support”. Supervisor: Dr Haresh Manyar.

10/2014 – 10/2015 – MPhil project entitled “Development of Property Prediction Methods for Li-Batteries Electrolytes”. Supervisors: Dr Johan Jacquemin and Dr Lorenzo Stella.

Research Interests:

I joined the Ab-elektro group in November 2015 and mainly responsible for the computational work about the CO₂ reduction in room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL). My research in general is to use newly developed method for the calculation of electron/proton transfer reaction and have a close cooperation with Marco’s experimental work.

Hon. Postdoctoctorate

Nationality: Kenyan

Email: mwanda.jonathan@gmail.com

Current Position: Gulf Organisation for Research and Development (GORD)

I received my BSc. Industrial chemistry in (JKUAT, Kenya), MSc (university of Leeds) and MSc in Oil and Gas chemistry (University of Aberdeen). During my research project in Oil and Gas chemistry supervised by Dr Angel Cuesta, I developed an interest in physical and material chemistry. This inspired the undertaking of a PhD project within the Ab-elektro group with Dr Angel Cuesta as my principal supervisor.

My PhD project aimed at fabricating and characterizing bidimensional metallic nanoislands on groups of self-assembled single molecules. These hybrid nanostructures structures display novel properties which have applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, energy and can also be applied as chemical and biological sensors. Fundamental understanding of this novel structures do not only yield advances in rational design in advanced technologies but also provide useful insights in the understanding of important mechanisms such as charge transport which is integral in many chemical and biological processes.