Dr. Kathrin Maria Aziz-Lange,
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Germany
By Dr. Kathrin Maria Aziz-Lange, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Germany
(Invited Speaker)
Core and valence based X-ray spectroscopies host many well-established element specific methods to study the electronic structure of materials and to reveal information, such as oxidation state, ligand field strength, and charge transfer effects. However, when it comes to investigations with soft X-rays, which are required to study, e.g., the L-edges of transition metals like cobalt and iron or the K-edges of light elements like oxygen and nitrogen, the experimental requirements are often more challenging compared to hard X-ray based spectroscopies. Since soft X-rays are strongly absorbed by air, experiments have to be carried out under vacuum conditions. Whereas for solid samples this requirement is straight forward, more sophisticated experimental setups are required for investigating solution or interface processes between solid and liquid. Indeed, liquids often play a significant role for studying functional materials in a realistic environment as, e.g., materials for electrochemical or catalytic applications under in-situ or operando conditions. For such purpose we developed specific in-situ/operando cells for investigating such materials in direct contact with liquids as an electrolyte solution and under applied voltage using e.g. soft X-ray absorption and soft X-ray emission spectroscopy.[1] In this talk several experimental approaches will be presented together with recent applications.
References: [1] C. Schwanke, R. Golnak, J. Xiao and K. M. Lange; Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85, 103120 (2014)
Biography : Dr. Kathrin M. Lange studied physics at Technical University Berlin. During her PhD at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin she developed a high-resolution X-ray emission and absorption spectrometer to investigate the electronic structures of liquids and dissolved functional materials. For her thesis she received the Wilhelm-Ostwald-Nachwuchs-Prize 2012. After a postdoctoral fellowship at Max-Born Institute Berlin and a research stay at École Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, Switzerland based on a Helmholtz Postdoc Grant and a Grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation, she is currently group leader at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin in the department of Solar fuels working on the development of in-situ and operando techniques for the study of solar fuel materials.