Seminar: Jinghua Guo, LBNL

Probing Interfacial Phenomena in Energy Materials via In-situ/Operando Soft X-ray Spectroscopy

Abstract

Advanced energy technologies are deeply rooted in fundamental scientific understanding, which increasingly relies on in-situ/operando characterization tools to observe the physical and chemical processes at material interfaces. Synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopic techniques provide powerful, element-specific insights into a wide range of energy materials, spanning energy conversion, storage, and catalysis, by capturing the complexity of material architecture, chemistry, and interfacial interactions. However, uncovering the underlying mechanisms of these dynamic chemical processes remains a significant challenge. In this presentation, I will discuss the application of in-situ/operando soft X-ray spectroscopy techniques, particularly soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS), to study interfacial phenomena in energy materials and devices. These methods enable the real-time tracking of microstructural and compositional evolution, which significantly influences performance across systems such as electrochemical energy storage devices, conversion devices, and catalytic materials. The experimental results demonstrate how operando spectroscopy can reveal critical processes, such as phase transitions, changes in local chemical environments, and interfacial reactions at solid/gas and solid/liquid interfaces. This approach deepens our understanding of functional mechanisms and advances the development of next-generation energy technologies.

Biography

Dr. Jinghua Guo received his Ph.D. in Physics from Uppsala University, Sweden, in 1995, where he was appointed Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics in 1997. He joined the Advanced Light Source (ALS) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in 2001 and is currently a Senior Scientist and Lead of the REIXS Program at the ALS. Since 2012, he has also served as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Dr. Guo’s research is centered on the electronic structure of materials and the development and application of in-situ/operando soft X-ray spectroscopy techniques to investigate energy materials and catalytic systems under real-world working conditions. His scientific contributions have been recognized with several prestigious honors, including the MRS Innovation in Materials Characterization Award (2020), the David A. Shirley Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement at the ALS (2022), and an R&D 100 Award (2023). He is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society and has authored more than 520 peer-reviewed publications.