Welcome to the Taherinia Research Group
Research in Taherinia Group
Research in our group focuses on two main areas: 1- electrocatalysis, and 2- interfacial charge transfer in self-assembled monolayers. In the first area, we are trying to develop efficient and low-cost electrocatalysts based on earth-abundant transition metals for electrochemical water splitting (electrolysis of water, which yields hydrogen and oxygen molecules as products) and electroreduction of carbon dioxide, as well as getting more insights into the mechanism of these reactions. These two electrochemical processes can play a key role in dealing with two of the toughest challenges of our time: the global energy crisis and climate change. In the second area, our goal is to achieve a better understanding of the mechanism of charge transfer at the metal/molecule interface and the relation between the molecular structure and kinetics of charge transfer (structure-property relation). This fundamental knowledge will ultimately lead to designing more efficient electronic devices based on organic semiconductors and conductive polymers.
During their research journey, our group members will develop experimental skills in electrochemistry and materials synthesis and become familiar with various structural and compositional characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.