X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a useful technique for studying electronic and structural properties of materials. When these measurements are performed in-situ, it is valuable to identify the reactive species and monitor the reaction kinetics. This could significantly improve our understanding of material property and advance the rational design of material with improved performance.
Many in-situ studies are performed in solid state using hard X-rays. However, many processes in catalytic reactions and energy related applications, such as water splitting reactions, CO2 reductions and lithium ion batteries, are carried out in liquid phase; and in-situ measurements are challenging in liquid and in the lower energy range.
In this presentation, Yongfeng will report on the recent development of various in-situ liquid cells and chambers for studies of catalytic and energy materials in liquid using a medium energy beamline at the Canadian Light Source. After a brief introduction of the Canadian Light Source Synchrotron and its related techniques, Yongfeng will present a few examples of applications on Li ion battery, fuel cell and nano-catalysts, using XAS and other techniques.
Biographical Sketch
Yongfeng Hu is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Canadian Light Source (CLS), which is a leading centre of excellence in synchrotron science and its applications. The CLS is a critical tool for Canadian research and development in sectors such as mining and energy, health and life sciences, and advanced manufacturing.
Yongfeng’s research interests include synchrotron instrumentation and the application of synchrotron radiation techniques. He has built and commissioned three beamlines (soft and hard x-rays) at the synchrotron facilities in US and Canada. He has also designed and built many endstations, including photoelectron and photoabsorption and others, for the application of synchrotron based technique. He studies chemical and electronic structure and its interplay with material properties and spectroscopy, and is pushing for ‘real,’ in-situ measurement of energy, environmental and catalytic samples.
He has published more than 260 peer-reviewed papers in areas of atomic and molecular chemistry and physics, material and environmental science, and synchrotron instrumentation.
Yongfeng’s areas of expertise include
- Synchrotron radiation and beamlines
- Instrumentation in spectroscopy
- Solid state and surface chemistry
- Photoelectron and photoabsorption spectroscopy
- Material and environmental science
- Atomic and molecular spectroscopy