Physical Chemistry Laboratory

Electrochemistry

Electrocatalysis

• Electrocatalysis (preparation, characterization, and electrochemical activity of electrocatalysts with emphasis to fuel cell and electrolysis related reactions).
• Scanning Probe Microscopies (AFM, STM, SECM) with emphasis to the study of electrocatalysts and photocatalysts.

Fuel Cells and Lithium-ion Batteries

• Polymer Membrane Electrolyte (PEM) and Solid Oxide (SOFC)Fuel Cells.
• PEM and Solid Oxide Electrolysers.
• Development of liquid electrolytes for high-capacity lithium-ion cells capable to operate under low temperatures (up to -40oC) for space applications and inorganic solid electrolytes for all-solid type batteries for automotive applications

Electrochemical Corrosion and Passivity of Metals and Alloys

• Physico-electrochemical processes underlying the corrosion and passivity of metals and alloys. Growth mechanisms of metal anodic oxide layers in the framework of point defect models.
• Self-organization phenomena in nonlinear dynamical systems and their impact to electrochemistry and materials science.
• Electrochemical synthesis and characterization of thin films of intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) and conductive ICP-based nanocomposites on various substrates. Application of ICP-based coatings for the corrosion protection of technologically relevant metals and alloys.

Materials and devices for fuel cells and electrolysis

Researchers

1. Professor Sotirios Sotiropoulos
2. Associate professor Dimitrios Tsiplakides
3. Professor Dimitra Sazou
4. Dr. Charikleia Prochaska

Photoelectrochemistry

Photoelectrochemistry of semiconductors – Photocatalysis

• The research interests of the Photocatalysis Group (1 senior Researcher + 3 PostDoc) include Photoelectrocatalytic oxidation, Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Photocatalysis, Solar Detoxification and Disinfection of Wastewaters, Drinking Water and Air, as well as the hydrogen production by using photoelectrochemical/photosynthetic processes.
• Photoelectrocatalysis (preparation, characterization and photo-electrochemical activity of photocatalysts with emphasis to electrochemically assisted photo-oxidation of organics).

Optoelectronics Materials and Devices

• Development and study of hybrid (inorganic/organic) or purely inorganic crystalline materials for energy applications (solar cells) and LED lighting applications

Researchers

1. Professor Ioannis Poulios
2. Professor Sotirios Sotiropoulos
3. Assistant Professor Thomas Stergiopoulos

Physical Chemistry of Surfaces and Interfaces

Physical Chemistry of Interfaces and adsorption of surfactants

• Kinetic studies of adsorption and characterization of the interactions (synergistic or inhibiting phenomena) in mixtures of surfactants without and with water-soluble polymers across air/water interfaces
• Understanding of the adsorption kinetics of surfactants and of their mixtures across the mercury/electrolyte interface by monitoring the change of the double layer differential capacity with time and characterization of the structures formed across the double layer including surfactant monolayers, micelles, films and fractals

Physicochemical measurements by chromatographic methods (Reverse Flow Gas Chromatography, Fields Flow fractionation)

• Adsorption over heterogeneous solids (gas-solid interface)
• Transport phenomena (gas-liquid interface)
• Heterogeneous catalysis
  • physicochemical characterization and study of the activity of noble metal nanoparticle catalysts
  • preparation, physicochemical characterization and study of the activity of electrocatalytic materials, based on gold, in fuel cells’ reactions

Nonlinear dynamics of physicochemical systems far from equilibrium

• Spatio-temporal self-organization (oscillations, patterns, chaos) in non-equilibrium electrochemical reactions.
• Nonlinear time series analysis and computation of characteristic quantities related with the dynamics of physicochemical processes underlying the behavior of electrochemical oscillators under non-equilibrium conditions.

 

Researchers

1. Professor Antonios Avranas
2. Assistant Professor Dimitrios Gavril
3. Professor Dimitra Sazou