Physical Chemistry Seminar – Dr. Anjaiah Sheelam

About the event

Speaker: Dr. Anjaiah Sheelam, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Prof. Jeffrey G. Bell group

Talk title: Electrons in Solids

Abstract: Surface degradation and high overpotentials are two common obstacles in electrocatalysis. In recent years, topological quantum materials have taken an onset in oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions to overcome these problems. Topology is a mathematical depiction of transformation of geometry of objects and robustness of their properties. Topological surface states of semimetals or topological insulators are found to be stable towards surface oxidation, change in the lattice parameters and partial substitution of metal sites. I will introduce the band diagram of solids, edge states of electrons, Weyl points of semimetal and present our recent work on anomalous water oxidation activity of Co3In2S2 Weyl semimetal in presence of strong surface poisoning ligands such as bipyridine, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tetrasoidum salt, potassium cyanide and carbon monoxide.