Raquel Aymerich Armengol wins Shotgun Communication Prize
PhD student of the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung presented her work on nanostructured oxides for energy applications
Raquel Aymerich Armengol, PhD student in the independent research group “Nanoanalytics and Interfaces” at the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (MPIE) won the Shotgun Communication Prize during the “5th International Caparica Symposium on Nanoparticles/Nanomaterials and Applications 2022” in Capuchos (Lisbon), Portugal.
“I’m so happy to be one of the winners of the Shotgun Communication prize. I presented one of my PhD thesis projects where I analyse several nanomorphologies of manganese oxides with and without iron and see how their structure influences their properties. This is especially interesting for catalysis and energy storage.”, says Aymerich Armengol. She presented her work amongst 30 other contributions from which four were awarded in total. Manganese oxides can be applied in batteries or as catalysts to produce hydrogen fuel. However, their properties strongly depend on their crystal structure, morphology and composition. Aymerich Armengol and her colleagues use novel wet-chemistry syntheses routes to tune the structure, porosity and composition of the oxides. “To characterize the nanomaterials, we use various high-end microscopes to analyse the oxides down to the atomic scale. This analysis will also help us to understand the mechanisms behind their synthesis, which are key for developing more efficient and more durable oxides.”
Raquel Aymerich Armengol joined the MPIE in 2019. She was awarded several times for her outstanding research and communication abilities, e.g. she was selected to take part in the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting 2020, where excellent young scientists from all over the world have the chance to meet Nobel laureates and discuss about research. Aymerich Armengol also won the MPIE Science Video Competition where she recorded a film on her research, which will be published soon online.
Author: Yasmin Ahmed Salem
