X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) provides a means to determine the local structure of catalyst particles (coordination numbers, distances, and identity of neighbours).
In the group we focus on (i) developing in situ cells that enable XAFS in environments that closely match the working environments of fuel cells and the preparation of heterogeneous catalyst nanoparticles and (ii) applying new XAFS methods such as time-resolved XAFS or combined XAFS/XRD to the study of catalysts and electrocatalysts. The work involves use of national and international facilities such as the SRS at Daresbury Laboratory, Diamond at Rutherford Laboratory, the NSLS in New York, the APS in Chicago, and the ESRF in Grenoble.