Speaker: Dr. Anku Guha
Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Researcher at ICFO-The
Institute of Photonic Sciences, Barcelona, Spain
Title: "Engineering Electrochemical Interfaces: Operando
Insights."
Day and Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Time: 10.00 am.
Venue: Room no. 350, Chemistry Department
Second floor, Annex
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Hosted by Prof. Arnab Dutta
Abstract Electrochemical energy conversion technologies offer sustainable routes for
the production of fuels and value-added chemicals; however, achieving
efficient, selective, and durable electrocatalytic systems requires a
fundamental understanding of the dynamic processes occurring at the
electrode–electrolyte interface under realistic operating conditions
(>1Acm-2 ). In this seminar, I will highlight recent advances in
integrating catalyst design with operando spectroscopic investigations to
uncover the dynamic evolution of electrochemical interfaces during
electrocatalytic reactions. Beginning with the rational design of
electrocatalysts for water electrolysis and mechanistic investigations into
the role of cation concentration, electrolyte environment, and interfacial
water in electrocatalytic reactions, I will then describe the development
of an operando Raman spectroscopy platform capable of probing
electrochemical interfaces at industrially relevant current densities (up
to 1 A cm-2 ). Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding the
dynamic restructuring of interfacial water, the evolution of surface-bound
reaction intermediates, and their interplay in governing electrocatalytic
performance. Furthermore, the application of two-dimensional correlation
spectroscopy enables the sequential evolution of interfacial species to be
resolved, providing mechanistic insights that are difficult to obtain using
conventional spectroscopic approaches. Finally, I will discuss future
opportunities for extending operando Raman spectroscopy to increasingly
complex electrochemical systems. Advancing these methodologies will enable
a deeper understanding of electrochemical interfaces under practical
operating conditions and open new avenues for the development of
next-generation electrocatalytic technologies for sustainable energy
conversion.