Research summary
Research summary
In this project, we aim to develop non-critical raw material-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). High-entropy materials (HEM) appear as a promising electrocatalyst for OER, owing to its vast compositional space, incorporating five or more elements. Such synergistic interaction between different elements gives rise to a variety of active sites, resulting in a superior catalytic activity when compared with single-element catalysts. The synthesis of HEMs will follow a mechanochemistry route – a room-temperature and solvent-free technique that provides a good control over composition. We seek to synthetize NiaFeb-based HEMs by high-energy ball milling and systematically evaluating the effect the composition and milling conditions in their electrocatalytic activity. By varying the ratios of each element, we aim to identify the threshold value of each component, prioritizing the overall catalytic response. Ultimately, we want to provide insight into how mechanochemical processing and composition control the properties of HEMs and establish guidelines for synthesizing highly active OER catalysts while exploring a sustainable synthetic route.
Profile photograph made by Odette Beekmans
CV
CV
Employment
02/2026 – present, Postdoctoral research in a collaborative project within the ARC CBBC Consortium in the Eindhoven University of Technology, Utrecht University and Shell.
Education
02/2021 – 11/2025, PhD in Chemical Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Thesis in Novel pH-sensitive self-healing electrodes for MnOxbased pseudocapacitors
09/2017 – 11/2019, MSc in Chemistry at Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Thesis in Synthesis and characterization of abiotic electrocatalysts based on reduced graphene oxide for oxygen reduction reaction
09/2014 – 07/2017, BSc in Chemistry at Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Thesis in Catalytic effect of polyoxometalates in the oxidative desulfurization of oils