In Situ/Operando Studies of Functional Materials

The figure shows powder diagrams measured with a laboratory diffractometer during ammonia decomposition. Quantitative phase analyses allow to identify the changes of the catalyst precursor during the reaction and to correlate them with the ammonia decomposition.

The figure shows powder diagrams measured with a laboratory diffractometer during ammonia decomposition. Quantitative phase analyses allow to identify the changes of the catalyst precursor during the reaction and to correlate them with the ammonia decomposition.

The group deals with structural aspects of various inorganic solids, which are used in energy-relevant processes either as storage material, catalyst carrier material or catalysts.

Complex metal hydrides for solid hydrogen storage or as solid electrolytes in batteries
Catalysts for the catalytic cracking of ammonia, NH3, into hydrogen and nitrogen for fuel cell applications
Perovskites as electrode material in fuel cells or for catalytic water splitting
Oxide catalysts
Carbon materials for battery applications
Inorganic, polymer-based catalyst supports

Selected Publications:

Tseng, J.-C., Gu, D., Pistidda, C., Horstmann, C., Dornheim, M., Ternieden, J., & Weidenthaler, C. (2018). Tracking the Active Catalyst for Iron-Based Ammonia Decomposition by In Situ Synchrotron Diffraction Studies. ChemCatChem, 10(19), 4465-4472. doi:10.1002/cctc.201800398.

Weidenthaler, C. Crystal structure evolution of complex metal aluminum hydrides upon hydrogen release. Journal of Energy Chemistry, 42(3), 133-143. doi:10.1016/j.jechem.2019.05.026.

Weidenthaler, C., Felderhoff, M., Bernert, T., Sørby, M. H., Hauback, B. C., & Krech, D. (2018). Synthesis, Crystal Structure Analysis and Decomposition of RbAlH4. Crystals, 8(2): 103. doi:10.3390/cryst8020103.

Makepeace, J. W., He, T., Weidenthaler, C., Jensen, T. R., Chang, F., Vegge, T., Ngene, P., Kojima, Y., de Jongh, P. E., Chen, P., & David, W. I. (2019). Reversible ammonia-based and liquid organic hydrogen carriers for high-density hydrogen storage: Recent progress. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 44(15), 7746-7767. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.01.144.

Ortatatli, S., Ternieden, J., & Weidenthaler, C. (2018). Low Temperature Formation of Ruddlesden–Popper-Type Layered La2CoO4±δ Perovskite Monitored via In Situ X-ray Powder Diffraction. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2018(48), 5238-5245. doi:10.1002/ejic.201801162.