{"684215":{"#nid":"684215","#data":{"type":"event","title":"PhD Proposals by Arturo Medina","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EArturo Medina\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdvisor: Prof. Faisal M. Alamgir\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ewill\u0026nbsp;propose\u0026nbsp;a doctoral thesis entitled,\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWork Function\u2013Driven Interfacial Electronic Structure and Field Modulation in 2D Metal\/Graphene Catalysts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOn\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETuesday, September 9, 2025\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E11am - 1pm\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMRDC Conference Room 3510\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eor virtually via Microsoft Teams:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/2699505367478?p=uFCL6Q2ACi4COfY81H\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/teams.microsoft.com\/meet\/2699505367478?p=uFCL6Q2ACi4COfY81H\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoin meeting here\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2002\u2002\u2002\u2002\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommittee:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Faisal M. Alamgir \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering (advisor)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Seung-Soon Jang \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Eric Vogel \u2013 School of Materials Science\u0026nbsp;and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Mark D. Losego \u2013 School of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Martin Mourigal \u2013 School of Physics\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProf. Hicham Idriss \u2013 KIT Institute of Functional Interfaces\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbstract\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding and controlling catalytic activity at the atomic scale requires descriptors that unify electronic and structural effects across diverse material systems. This work advances the work function (WF) as a central descriptor that links charge transfer, strain, and catalytic reactivity in two-dimensional (2D) metal\/graphene heterostructures. Using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), substrate induced changes in lattice strain and charge redistribution are tied to shifts in WF, on the path to establishing a transferable framework that bridges structure and electronic behavior. Furthermore, experimentally combined data with an emergent density functional theory (DFT) based model enable predictive maps of the electric potential where hydrogen evolution (HER) and carbon dioxide reduction (CO\u2082RR) occur in Ir\/Gr\/M systems (Ir refers to iridium metal, Gr refers to single-layer graphene and M to a metallic substrate). As a validation of the close connection between the theoretical model and real systems, we have experimentally verified that, the Ir\/Gr\/M catalysts are poor for CO\u2082RR but favorable for HER, as predicted by theory. In the proposed work, we will explore whether WF can directly predict the electric potential where HER and CO\u2082RR occur for Ir\/Gr\/M and related systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe intrinsic electric fields of ferroelectric supports introduce a new axis of control for catalysis. By integrating ultrathin platinum (Pt) overlayers with graphene on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN), alternating \u00b1180\u00b0 ferroelectric domains are tested for their ability to induce domain specific shifts in WF, electronic structure, and catalytic behavior. Preliminary Raman, piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), and XPS measurements confirm that polarization fields penetrate through graphene and persist even after Pt growth, while synchrotron-based C-K edge mapping reveals domain dependent \u03c0* undulations consistent with ferroelectric modulation. Taken together, these results motivate the proposed work, which will establish a comprehensive framework in which structure, WF, and reactivity are quantitatively linked, and where active field tunable catalysis can be realized. The proposed outcome is a predictive descriptor to performance map that unifies structural, electronic, and field effects, laying the foundation for the rational design of graphene based heterostructures as tunable, energy efficient catalysts for sustainable energy conversion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWork Function\u2013Driven Interfacial Electronic Structure and Field Modulation in 2D Metal\/Graphene Catalysts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Work Function\u2013Driven Interfacial Electronic Structure and Field Modulation in 2D Metal\/Graphene Catalysts"}],"uid":"27707","created_gmt":"2025-08-27 16:24:20","changed_gmt":"2025-08-27 16:24:48","author":"Tatianna Richardson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2025-09-09T11:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2025-09-09T13:00:19-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2025-09-09T13:00:19-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2025-09-09 15:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2025-09-09 17:00:19","gmt_time_end_last":"2025-09-09 17:00:19","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"MRDC Conference Room 3510 or virtually via Microsoft Teams","extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"102851","name":"Phd proposal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"1788","name":"Other\/Miscellaneous"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78771","name":"Public"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}