DAAD Research Visit: Magali Laviani Investigates Co-TPP/Fe₃O₄ Interfaces for Electrocatalysis at IPS

We were pleased to host Magali Laviani, a PhD student from the Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA) of the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina, for a six-week research stay at IPS. Her visit was supported by the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, German Academic Exchange Service).

The collaborative project between KIT and INIFTA focuses on Co-TPP (cobalt-tetraphenylporphyrin)/Fe₃O₄ interfaces, a promising system for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysis. This material - based on earth-abundant elements - is a promising candidate to reduce the cost of current fuel cell technologies, which mostly rely on precious platinum-group metals.

During Magali’s stay, Co-TPP samples, prepared via different fabrication routes, were systematically investigated using hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) and soft x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) at the X-SPEC beamline. Measurements before and after ORR provide direct insights into the impact of preparation parameters on the catalyst’s electronic and chemical structure and performance.

Magali’s visit has significantly strengthened the collaboration between IPS and INIFTA, providing valuable contributions to the ongoing research in sustainable electrocatalysis.