Ceramic Electrodes and Electrolytes
The Braun Group researches on renewable energy sources for a safe, clean environment and a sustainable energy economy. Focus is the discovery and elucidation of principal mechanisms, which control behavior and properties of ceramics, in particular the correlation between materials structure and transport properties for electrochemical storage and conversion systems, the interaction of surfaces with gases, liquids, light, and organic matter.
For the understanding of structure-property relationships on the mesoscopic and molecular scale, we employ operando and in situ synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering and spectroscopy, along with electrochemical and electroanalytical techniques. We collaborate with high profile partners worldwide.
Our Research Topics
- Photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) for solar hydrogen, ammonia and CO2 reduction
- Photonic light trapping for photoelectrochemical water splitting
- Semiconductor photoelectrochemistry
- Neutron and X-ray methods for analysis of solid oxide fuel cells, batteries, and solar cells
- Nano-bio hybrid structures for artificial photosynthesis
- Development of neutron and X-ray operando in situ electrochemical methods
- Self organization and pattern formation for photoelectrode design
- Operando, in situ electrochemical and ex situ synchrotron studies on lithium ion batteries
- Gas sensors from metal oxide nano-particles
- Charge transport and charge carrier dynamics
- Human capacity building in Africa
News September 2024: We welcome Ethiopian Physicist and ESKAS Fellow PhD student Kidan G. Gebremariam in our group.
News August 2024: New paper published - Restructurable materials for soft actuators, Qing Chen, Invited Feature Paper—Review MRS Distinguished Invited Speaker, Journal of Materials Research (2024). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43578-024-01423-4
News August 2024: New paper published - Fluorescence and electron transfer of Limnospira indica functionalized biophotoelectrodes, Ryzhkov, Nikolay; Colson, Nora; Ahmed, Essra; Pobedinskas, Paulius; Haenen, Ken; Janssen, Paul; Braun, Artur, Photosynthesis Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-024-01114-5
News July 2'024: 2nd edition of Artur Braun's book published. X-Ray Studies on Electrochemical Systems - Synchrotron Methods for Energy Materials, Artur Braun In der Reihe De Gruyter Textbook https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110794038
News July 2024: New paper published - Electric Polarization-Dependent Absorption and Photocurrent Generation in Limnospira indica Immobilized on Boron-Doped Diamond, Ryzhkov, Nikolay, Colson, Nora, Ahmed, Essraa, Pobedinskas, Paulius, Haenen, Ken. Braun, Artur, Janssen, Paul J., ACS Omega https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c03925
News May 2024: New paper published - Hygro-Dynamic and Conductive Actuator That Restructures and Heals by Water; Qing Chen, Tina Künniger, Qun Song, Kai Zhang, Andrei Chumakov, Yusuf Bulut, Constantin Harder, Peter Müller-Buschbaum, Stephan V. Roth, Artur Braun; First published: 23 May 2024 https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202402924
News May 2024: PhD student Mrs. Gebremariam Kidan Gebreegziabher from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, has been selected as main applicant for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship 2023-2024, and will be researching for one year in Braun's group at Empa from 1 September 2024 - 31 August 2025.
News April 2024: Braun, and Profs. Danielle Mai from Stanford University, Minkyu Kim from University of Arizona, Newaye Tegegne from Addis Ababa University, organize the Symposium "Bio-based and Biomimetic Polymers in Soft Robotics" at the MRS Spring Meeting 2024 in Seattle, WA, United States. Meeting Chairs Mmantsae Diale and Martin Kaltenbrunner are among the invited speakers. Among the MRS Best Poster Award Winners was also a poster from our Symposium: Yongyi Zhao, SB11.07.07 "A Self-Healing ElectricallyConductive OrganogelComposite". This Symposium is inspired by the COgITOR project.
News 11 February 2024: We welcome "returning" Visiting Professor Joey D. Ocon from University of the Phillipines Diliman, who spends his second stay at Empa now.
News 11 February 2024: We welcome Professor Julie Anne Del Rosario Paraggua from University of the Philippines Diliman, who will stay for one week and deliver a seminar talk with title "Levelized cost of hydrogen produced via solar- and wind-powered electrolysis in the Philippines".
News 01 February 2024: We welcome PhD student Ms. Glennise Faye Mejica from University of the Phillipines Diliman, who will be researching for two months on photoelectrochemical ammonia synthesis finded by the Swiss ASEAN project "Aurora".
News 23 November 2023: Dr. Nikolay Ryzhkov visits University of the Philippines Diliman and presents "Bio- and biomimicking interfaces for smart materials design and alternative energy harvesting".
News 07 October 2023: Artur Braun experiences rocket attacks during his sabbatical at Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
News 28 September 2023: Manuscript accepted by Advanced Science (Wiley IF 17): "Entropy and Isokinetic Temperature in Fast Ion Transport", by Du, Peng; Zhu, Hong; Braun, Artur; Yelon, Arthur; Chen, Qianli.
News 30 August 2023: We congratulate our ESKAS Fellow Dr. Kwanele Kunene for her new position at Chalmers University in Sweden.
News 18 July 2023: NCSU Professor Michael F. Dickey visits our lab and delivers a seminar presentation to staff and students. Sponsored by EU COgITOR project.
News 9-13 July 2023: Prof. Joey Ocon and Dr. Donn Matienzo visit our lab and deliver seminar presentation. Sponsored by ASEAN Aurora project.
News 23 May 2023: ASU Battery Professor Candace Chan visits our lab and delivers a seminar presentation to staff and students. Sponsored by EU OpMetBat project.
Projects & Funding Agencies
| Project Akronym | Description | Logo | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHINE |
Solar Harvesting and Integration to Photoelectrochemical Cell for Nitrogen Economy; with Univ. of the Philippines Diliman, Prof. Joey Ocon |
 |
2024-2025 |
| 3DCyan |
3D Printed Algal Biophotoelectrochemical Reactor For PV And Solar Fuel Production |
Korean-Swiss Science and Technology Programme (KSSTP)
|
2023-2026 |
| Aurora | Renewable Ammonia with Univ. of the Philippines Diliman, Prof. Joey Ocon |  |
2023 |
| OpMetBat |
Operando metrology for energy storage materials |
 |
2022 - 2025 |
| HySPARC | Sustainable hydrogen production in space by radiation hard cyanobacterial biofilms in a photoelectrochemical (PEC) system using boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes |  |
2022 - 2025 |
| COgITOR |
A new colloidal cybernetic system towards 2030 |
|
2021 - 2025 |
| ESKAS | Electrosynthesis of Ammonia (South Africa) | |
2022 - 2023 |
| PROTONIQUE 3 |
Proton conductivity in epitaxial strained thin films |
 |
2021 - 2025 |
| PHOGAM |
Flanders/Swiss Lead Agency Process: Charge and energy transfer between cyanobacteria and semiconductor electrodes under gamma-irradiation |
|
|
| SUNRISE | Solar Energy for a Circular Economy |  |
|
| Yonsei | Electrochemistry of the thylakoid membrane - metal oxide electrode assemblies | |
|
| GIST |
SNF Korean Swiss project: Molecular and physical aspects of dye sensitization of photoelec-trodes with copper-based sensitizer molecules |
 |
|
| SSAJRP | Production of Liquid Solar Fuels from CO2 and Water: Using Renewable Energy Resources |  |
|
| Pattern Formation for PEC | Reaction-diffusion processes for the growth of patterned structures and architectures: A bottom-up approach for photoelectrochemical electrodes | |
|
| PEC EPFL | Defects in the bulk and on surfaces and interfaces of metal oxides with photoelectrochemical properties: In-situ photoelectrochemical and resonant x-ray and electron spectroscopy studies | |
|
| NANOPEC | Nanostructured Photoelectrodes for Energy Conversion |  |
|
| SOFC-Life | Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – Integrating Degradation Effects into Lifetime Prediction Models | |
|
| MetInsTra | X-ray and electrochemical studies on solid Oxide fuel cells and related materials | |
|
| HITEMPECHEM | X-ray and electrochemical studies on solid Oxide fuel cells and related materials |  |
Organized Conferences, Symposia & Workshops
| Year | Role | Event | Participants | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun, with Elena Rozhkova, Qianli Chen, WonHyoung Ryu | MRS Spring Meeting Symposium on "Protons in Solids, Fluids, and Molecules" | Seattle, USA | |
| 2024 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun, with Minkyu Kim, Danielle J. Mai, Newayemedhin Aberra Tegegne | MRS Spring Meeting Symposium on bio inspired soft robotics | 300 | Seattle, USA |
| 2023 | Area Coordinator Artur Braun, with Gesa Beck | EUROMAT H: Materials for Circularity and Sustainability | 1000 | Frankfurt, Germany |
| 2021 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun, with Nicolas Gaillard, Elena Rozhkova | PACIFICHEM, Hawai'i / Symp. Artificial Photosynthesis | 150 | Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA |
| 2019 | Lead-Organizer Artur Braun, Rita Toth | SUNRISE Flagship Stakeholder Workshop | 30 | Empa, Switzerland |
| 2017 | Co-Organizer Rita Toth, with Mmantsae Diale, | MRS Fall Meeting Symposium | Boston MA, USA | |
| 2017 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun | ALS User Meeting Workshop: Synchrotron Bio Materials | 30 | Berkeley CA, USA |
| 2015 | Co-Chair Artur Braun, with Hongyou Fan, Ken Haenen, Lia Stanciu, Jeremy A. Theil | MRS Spring Meeting 2015 | 5'500 | San Francisco CA, USA |
| 2015 | Lead Artur Braun | Int'l Expl. Workshop PEC, Cat. & X-ray | 30 | Empa, Switzerland |
| 2013 | Lead Artur Braun | Int'l Expl. Workshop X-ray Electrochemistry | 30 | Empa, Switzerland |
| 2013 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun, with Arndt Remhof, | ESS Science Symposium: Future Energy | 40 | PSI/SINQ, Switzerland |
| 2013 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun, with Elena Rozhkova | MRS Spring Meeting Symposium Artificial Photosynthesis | 100 | San Francisco CA; USA |
| 2012 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun | MRS Fall Meeting; Symposium Frontier Chemical Imaging | 100 | Boston MA, USA |
| 2012 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun | MSE Symposium D4 “Thin Films”, Darmstadt | 40 | Darmstadt, Germany |
| 2011 | Lead Organizer Artur Braun | MRS Spring Symposium on Protons in Solids | 80 | San Francisco CA, USA |
| 2011 | Co-Organizer Artur Braun | E-MRS Spring Meeting Symposium, Materials for solar hydrogen | 80 | Nice, France |
| 2010 | Lead Organizer Artur Braun | MRS Spring Symp Energy Materials Synchrotron Neutron | 100 | San Francisco CA, USA |
| 2010 | Lead Organizer Artur Braun, with Clemens Heske, Matthew Marcus, Jingha Guo | Advanced Light Source Users Meeting Workshop | 25 | Berkeley CA, USA |
| 2009 | Lead Organizer ArturBraun, with P. Alivisatos , Egbert Figgemeier , John Turner , Jinhua Ye | MRS Spring Meeting Symposium Photoelectrochemistry | 250 | San Francisco CA, USA |
| 2009 | Lead Organizer Artur Braun,with Clemens Heske, Jinghua Guo, Hendrik Bluhm | ALS Users Meeting Workshop Soft X-Ray Renewable Energy | 25 | Berkeley CA, USA |
| 2008 | Co-Organizer Selma Erat | Empa PhD Symposium | St. Gallen, Switzerland | |
| 2006 | Assistant of Organizer, with Peter Holtappels | MODVAL3 Workshop Modelling & Validation Fuel Cells | 40 | Empa, Switzerland |
Presentations by Group Members, Visitors & Guests
| Name | Affiliation | Title | Conference | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Paul J. Janssen | SCK CEN, Mol, Belgium | Sustainable, functional material on biobasis | PHOGAM Project | Empa, Dübendorf | 5 June 2024 |
| Dr. Qing Chen | Braun Group | The Design, Fabrication and Structural Modeling of Biomimetic Soft Materials for Robotic Applications | MRS Spring Meeting; COgITOR; Distinguished Invited Speaker | Seattle, WA, United States | 23 April 2024 |
| Assoc.-Prof. Julie Anne Paraggua | UP Diliman, Philippines |
Levelized cost of hydrogen produced via solar- and wind-powered electrolysis in the Philippines |
Empa Seminar | Empa, Dübendorf | 13 February 2024 |
| Dr. Nikolay Ryzhkov | Braun Group |
Bio- and biomimicking interfaces for smart materials design and alternative energy harvesting |
DChE Seminar | UP Diliman, Philippines | 23 November 2023 |
| MSc Nora Colson | Hasselt Univ., Braun Group | Welcome Presentation | Internal: ESA HySPARK Project | Empa Dübendorf | 1 September 2023 |
| Dr. Kwanele Kunene | Braun Group | Farewell Presentation of ESKAS Fellow | Internal: ESKAS Project | Empa Dübendorf | 30 August 2023 |
| Dr. Loghman Jamilpanah | Braun Group, Hug Group |
Developing Metallic Multilayers Hosting Different Skyrmion Types Toward Local Control via Electric Fields (Poster) |
13th Joint European Magnetic Symposia | Madrid, Spain | 29 August 2023 |
| Dr. Nikolay Ryzhkov | Braun Group |
Electric polarization effect on photosynthetic efficiency, non-photochemical quenching and photovoltaic performance of intact Limnospira indica based photoelectrodes |
20th Congress of the European Society for Photobiology |
Lyon, France |
28 August 2023 |
| Dr. Qing Chen | Braun Group |
Multi-sensing and self-healing skin for robotic applications |
ACS Fall Meeting 2023 | San Francisco, California | 16 August 2023 |
| Prof. Michael Dickey | North Carolina State University | Shaping a soft future | COgITOR project seminar | Empa Dübendorf | 19 July 2023 |
| Prof. Joey Ocon & Dr. DJ Donn Matienyo | University of The Philippines Diliman |
A Vertically Integrated Research Approach on Catalysis, Electrochemistry, and Energy Engineering |
Seminar of the ASEAN Aurora Ammonia Electrosynthesis project | Empa Dübendorf | 12 July 2023 |
| Prof. Candace Chan | Arizona State University |
Nanostructured Li7La3Zr2O12 Garnet Solid-State Electrolytes: Effect of Synthesis Route on Microstructure, Ionic Conductivity, and Lithium Stripping/Plating Behavior |
OpMetBat project semina | Dübendorf, Empa | 24 May 2023 |
| Dr. Artur Braun | Empa |
Parameterization of Proton Transport in Ceramic Electrolyte Membranes by Elastic Strain |
Colloquim 636 of the European Mechanical Society |
Besancon, France | 23 May 2023 |
| Dr. Qing Chen | Braun Group |
Investigation of strain-induced deformation of polymer thin films with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) as a tool for microstructural study |
Colloquim 636 of the European Mechanical Society
|
Besancon, France | 22 May 2023 |
| Dr. Nikolay Ryzhkov | Braun Group |
Electric Polarization Effect on Photosynthetic Performance of Limnospira Immobilized at Diamond-like Carbon Electrodes |
35th Topical Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry |
Gold Coast, Australia | 9 May 2023 |
Scientists:
Dr. Alexey Rulev
Dr. Nikolay Ryzhkov
ESKAS Fellow / PhD Student
M.Sc. Physicist Kidan G. Gebremariam
| Name | Position in Group | Current Position |
| Loghman Jamilpanah | Postdoc Scientist | |
| Glennise Faye Mejica | Visiting PhD Student | PhD Student, Univ. of the Philippines |
| Qing Chen | Scientist | Associate Professor, China Spallation Neutron Source |
| Yang Luo | Visiting Scientist | Assistant Professor, Strathclyde |
| Selma Erat | PhD Student ETHZ | Professor, Mersin University |
| Renata Solarska | Postdoc, Swiss BfE | Professor, Warsaw University |
| Debajeet K. Bora | PhD Student Uni Basel | Professor, Ben Guerir University, Morocco |
| Qianli Chen | PhD Student ETHZ | Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China |
|
Ramin Matloub Aghdam |
MSc Student KTH | PhD EPFL, Entrepreneur, PIEMACS Sarl, Lausanne |
| Kwanele Kunene | ESKAS Postdoc Fellow | Chalmers University, Sweden |
| Jean-Claude Tinguely | MSc Student FH Vorarlberg | PhD, Researcher at Tromso, University of the Arctic, Norway, |
| Jean-Pierre Pierog | MSc Student Univ. de Montpellier | ALSTOM, Engineer |
| Romy Löhnert | BSc Student Ernst Abbe hochschule Jena | PhD, Ernst Abbe Hochschule Jena |
| Dorota Flak | PhD Student AGH | Staff Scientist, Poznan University |
| Simon Tymen | MSc Student Univ. de Pau | PhD Berlin, Univ. de Nantes |
| Mateusz Schabikowski | MSc Student AGH | Adjunct, Polish Acad. of Sciences |
| Min-Kyu Son | Postdoc | Senior Researcher, KICET, Korea |
| Nikolett Nagy | BSc Student, Univ. of Szeged | MSc Univ. of Szeged |
| Krzysztof Szastak | MSc Student, AGH Krakow | Project Manager |
| Mahabubur Chowdhoury | Visiting Scientist, CPUT, Cape Town | Professor, CPUT, South Africa |
| Edvinas Navickas | PhD Student TU Wien | Infineon Technologies |
| Yelin Hu | PhD Student EPFL | BASF |
| Florent Boudoire | PhD Student Uni Basel | R&D Engineer CSEM, Neuchatel |
| Itani Madiba | PhD Student UNISA | Senior Researcher, Univ. of South Africa, Pretoria |
| Gareth-John Moore | MSc Student U Pretoria | PhD Uni Berne, RP Photonics AG |
| Kelebogile D. Mmabong | PhD Student U Pretoria | Senior Lecturer, Univ. of Botswana |
| Niels Burzan | MSc Student Uni Basel | PhD, CEO Mentix Schweiz GmbH |
| Gunnar Nurk | Scientist | Professor, Tartu University |
| Michel Prestat | Scientist | Senior Researcher, French Corrosion Institute |
| George Tsekouras | Postdoc | Research Fellow, Australian National University |
| Jianjun Wang | Postdoc | Professor, Shandong University |
| Tzu-Wen Huang | Postdoc | Sensor Industry, Switzerland |
| Alejandro Ovalle | Postdoc | Teaching |
| Rita Toth | Scientist | Coaching & Counseling |
| Songhak Yoon | Scientist | Staff Scientist, Fraunhofer IWKS |
| Krisztina Schrantz | Scientist, Asst.-Professor | Head EHSS, SOLVO Biotech |