Topics

The Wittstock groups investigates local reactions at solid-liquid interfaces, in particular electrochemical reactions. Such reactions play an important role in several areas of application for which we search for a basic understanding.

• Electrochemistry of oxygen in energy conversion systems (fuel cells and metal air batteries)
• Reactions at biomaterial surfaces
• Biomimetic surfaces and their pattering
• Assembly of molecules and nanoparticles at interfaces
• Photoelectrochemical energy conversion
• Electrochemical reactions of organic and metallorganic compounds at interfaces

The rate of those reactions, i.e. the conversion rate of compounds at interfaces, can be influenced in various ways: mass transport in the liquid phase, bound catalysts at electrode surfaces, formation of ultrathin selective coatings and the use of unconventional reaction media. 
We use classical voltammetric methods, scanning probe techniques (scanning force microscopy (AFM or SFM), scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), combinations of electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques (XPS and IR-spectroelectrochemistry) and laser spectroscopy and microscopy