Research

Catalysis

Photocatalysis: We are looking at members of the halide perovskite family of compounds for the use as materials for photocatalysis. We are able to grow single crystals and make powder and nanocrystals of the perovskites. The various element dopings and solid-solution formation are explored and their effects on the photocatalysis is investigated.

Electrocatalysis: We are looking at the members of the ternary pseudo-diboride family of compounds and well as metal borocabides (YBC, YB2C, YB2C2, etc.) for their applications as materials for water splitting reactions, especially hydrogen evolution reactions (HER).

For both of these applications we are looking at using machine learning and AI to aid in structure-property relationship optimization.

Synthesis

Such compounds are traditionally difficult to synthesize with high purity due to vastly different reactivities of the elements or are thermally inaccessible. The Akopov group focuses on forming phases by starting with an adaptable yet stable solid-state substrate (precursor) and reacting it with the volatile inorganic synthon to form complex multinary intemetallics and explore pnictides and chalcogenides of metal boride and carbides. These phases possess stable motifs that can be sequentially modified for enhanced properties: magnetic, thermoelectric, optical and non-linear optical (NLO).