We develop nanoscale electrochemical tools to answer fundamental problems in electrochemistry, with the goal of their application in energy and biomedicine. Specifically, we are interested in fundamental electrocatalytic processes for energy storage and conversion at the nanoscale to reveal their heterogeneity and stochasticity. We are also devoted to developing electrochemical sensors and on-demand drug release devices for biomedical applications.
Rich and new information about a chemical system can be learned by directly probing the individual entities (e.g., single cell, single nanoparticle, and single molecule). Such single entity studies demonstrate many advantages over traditional ensemble measurements, including simplicity (free from interactions between the entities) and ultra-high resolution.
We'll combine the tools of electrochemistry, statistics (e.g., machine learning), and computer simulation to tackle questions in energy conversion and storage on heterogeneous surfaces. Our goal is to elucidate the nature of active sites for important catalytic reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and CO2 reduction (CO2R). The results will guide better design of electrochemical energy conversion systems, including fuel cells and electrolyzers.
We are developing new methods in scanning electrochemical probe microscopy. The techniques include Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM) and Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy (SECCM) to study the distribution of charge and electrochemical activity on electrode materials.
In addition, we are combining spectroscopy (e.g., Raman Spectroscopy) and electrochemistry to map both electrochemical and chemical information in situ.
We are interested in applying electrochemistry in the medical settings. One direction is to develop on-demand drug release platforms controlled by eletrochemistry.
