Seminar Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM PT
Location: 67-3111 & Zoom
Talk Title: Understanding Reaction Kinetics at the Catalyst-Electrolyte Interface
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Abstract:
A thorough understanding of electrochemical reaction kinetics is essential for enhancing catalyst activity and durability. While modifications in surface facets and compositional tuning have effectively reduced reaction overpotential, interfacial phenomena at the electrode–electrolyte boundary—which are critical for both reactant delivery and product removal—have been comparatively less investigated. This presentation will discuss our recent research focused on characterizing and optimizing the near-surface environment to promote efficient electrochemical processes. In particular, we will present findings on the influence of surface atomic configurations, interfacial water structuring, and cation presence on electrocatalytic performance.
Bio:
Dr. Yu Huang is the Traugott and Dorothea Frederking Endowed Chair in Engineering and Professor of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at University of California Los Angeles. She received her B.S. in Chemistry from University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and her Ph.D in physical chemistry from Harvard University. She was a Lawrence Postdoctoral Fellow and held a joint postdoctoral position with Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her research focuses on mechanistic understanding of nanoscale phenomena and on exploiting the unique properties of nanoscale materials for various applications.
Prof. Huang is Highly Cited Researcher, the elected Fellow of Materials Research Society (MRS), Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). Recognitions she received include the Global Energy Prize, ENI Award in Energy Transition, RSC Faraday Horizon Prize, International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE) Prize for Experimental Electrochemistry, the International Precious Metal Institute (IPMI) Carol Tyler Award, Kavli Fellow, Sloan Fellow, the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE), the National Institute of Health (NIH) Director’s New Innovator Award, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Young Faculty Award, the World’s Top 100 Young Innovators award, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Young Chemist Award, and the Nano 50 Award etc.
