Electro-responsive interfaces alter their properties in response to an electric potential trigger. Hence, such 'smart' interfaces offer exciting possibilities for applications in, for instance, microfluidics, separation systems, biosensors and -analytics.
In this project we pursue recent developments in the field of austenitic steels with up to 18% reduced mass density. The alloys are based on the Fe-Mn-Al-C system.
Local lattice distortion is one of the core effects in complex concentrated alloys (CCAs). It has been expected that the strength CCAs can be improved by inducing larger local lattice distortions. In collaboration with experimentalists, we demonstrated that VCoNi has larger local lattice distortions and indeed has much better strength than the…
Water electrolysis has the potential to become the major technology for the production of the high amount of green hydrogen that is necessary for its widespread application in a decarbonized economy. The bottleneck of this electrochemical reaction is the anodic partial reaction, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which is sluggish and hence…
In this project we study a new strategy for the theory-guided bottom up design of beta-Ti alloys for biomedical applications using a quantum mechanical approach in conjunction with experiments. Parameter-free density functional theory calculations are used to provide theoretical guidance in selecting and optimizing Ti-based alloys...
In order to explore the possibility of using high entropy alloys (HEAs) for functional applications such as magnetic refrigeration it is necessary to have an in-depth understanding of their magnetic properties. The main goal of this project is to understand and improve the magnetic properties (e.g., saturation magnetization, Curie temperature etc.) in different medium and HEAs.
The structure of solvent at solid-liquid interfaces influences the interactions and reactions occurring on it, which has strong impacts for applications in diverse fields, such as wetting phenomena, electrochemistry or biotechnology. We particularly try to understand the influence of nanoscale structures formed on functional interfaces on the…