Dr. Siyuan (Spark) Zhang
Main Focus
My main research interest is materials for energy harvesting and conversion, in particular the roles of interfaces and microstructural defects on their functionality.
For example, I study interfaces in (photo)catalytic nanostructures, as highlighted in an interview https://denssolutions.com/wildfire-in-situ-heating-system-enables-capturing-the-structural-evolution-of-co-catalysts/.
Moreover, I investigate the long term stability of materials in (photo)electrochemical devices, pioneering the development of illuminated scanning flow cell for operando stability analysis.
Besides, I study dislocations and stacking faults in thermoelectric materials as phonon scatterers to enhance their conversion efficiency. The stability and transition of the microstructures are observed within transmission electron microscopes under in situ conditions of heating and electric bias.
Curriculum Vitae
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Project leader: Microstructural defects and stability of functional materials, MPIE Düsseldorf, Germany (2019-now)
Postdoctoral scientist, MPIE Düsseldorf, Germany (2015-2019)
Doctoral (PhD) and postdoctoral research associate, University of Cambridge, UK (2010-2015)
- Master (M.Sc.), RWTH Aachen, Germany (2007-2009)
- Bachelor (B. Eng.), University of Science and Technology Beijing, China (2003-2007)