PhD thesis supervisor: dr. Aldona Balčiūnaitė (apply for recommendation)
Non-precious metal electrocatalysts for water splitting and hydrogen production
The development and application of non-precious metal electrocatalysts in renewable energy technologies is one of the most rapidly advancing research areas today. With the growing demand for sustainable energy conversion, water electrolysis has emerged as a key technology for green hydrogen production. To reduce costs and reliance on scarce resources, significant research efforts are focused on replacing noble metal catalysts with efficient and earth-abundant alternatives.
Recent studies have concentrated on the design of non-precious metal electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), aiming to enhance reaction kinetics, lower overpotentials, and improve long-term stability. These investigations are important from both a fundamental perspective, contributing to a deeper understanding of water splitting mechanisms, and a practical standpoint, supporting the development of sustainable hydrogen energy technologies.
The aim of this PhD project is to synthesize and investigate multifunctional non-precious metal electrocatalysts for water splitting, with particular emphasis on the hydrogen evolution reaction. Cost-effective and environmentally friendly synthesis methods will be employed, including electrochemical and chemical deposition as well as galvanic replacement. The structure, composition, and electrocatalytic performance of the developed materials will be systematically studied using advanced physicochemical characterization techniques and electrochemical methods.