Join us Friday, March 7th, from 12-1pm for a seminar by Professor Yingjie Zhang on "Liquid structure at electrochemical interfaces"

Abstract: The structure of solid-liquid interfaces is critical for a large range of systems, including electrochemical energy conversion and storage, corrosion control, water purification, biological signal transduction, and more. However, our understanding of these interfaces remains highly limited. Existing theory and experimental tools have shed light on the structure of solid surfaces; in contrast, the configuration and distribution of molecular and charged species of interfacial liquids remain elusive. The problem becomes more challenging in realistic systems where the solid surfaces inevitably contain various heterogeneities, such as vacancies, step edges and surface corrugations. In this talk, I will discuss our recent efforts on experimental and theoretical investigations of liquid structure at solid-liquid interfaces. Using in situ 3D atomic force microscopy and surface-sensitive vibrational spectroscopy, we have experimentally determined the structure of a diverse set of solvents and electrolytes near flat, homogeneous and rough/heterogeneous solid surfaces. Furthermore, we have developed a statistical mechanics-based model to both explain the experimental results and predict liquid structures near solid surfaces with arbitrary morphologies. At the end, I will discuss how the interfacial liquid structure can modulate electrochemical reaction dynamics, including nucleation and growth processes.

Bio: Dr. Zhang is an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He received a BS in Physics from Nankai University, China in 2010, and a Ph.D. in Applied Science and Technology from the University of California, Berkeley in 2015. After three years as a Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow at UIUC, he began his faculty career at UIUC in 2019. His current research focuses on in situ characterization of solid-liquid interfaces, electrochemical energy conversion & storage, and chemical imaging of biological cells. He has received several young investigator research awards, such as the ACS PRF Doctoral New Investigator Award, the Beckman Young Investigator Award, the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and Sloan Research Fellowship.