Nanoanalysis of Electrochemical Processes
About
Understanding the mechanisms that alter nanostructures during electrochemical processes is crucial to develop electrolyzer and fuel cell technology. With this knowledge it is possible to enhance efficiency, resilience, and durability of the devices. Scaling those up allows to efficiently use hydrogen technology to store renewable energy.
To do so, we employ scale-bridging, correlative analysis methods covering degradation studies, modeling, and operando liquid phase electron microscopy.
Research Topics
To investigate the processes related to formation and alteration of the nanostructures involved, we combine a toolbox of methods that include
- synthesis of new catalytic materials
- development of accelerated stress test protocols
- nanostructural analysis methods via operando electron microscopy
- electro-structural and kinetic electrochemical simulations
- electron beam-induced effects in liquid phase electron microscopy
- quantitative liquid phase electron microscopy
Members

Publications
2025
- J. S. Du, S. Banik, H. Chan, B. Fritsch, Y. Xia, A. S. Karakoti, A. Hutzler, S. K. R. S. Sankaranarayanan, J. J. De Yoreo, Molecular-Resolution Imaging of Ice Crystallized from Liquid Water, Nature Communications, 2025, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62451-0
- J. Schwarz, J. Dick, S. Beuer, M. Rommel, A. Hutzler, Modeling the partially detected backside reflectance of transparent substrates in reflectance microspectroscopy, Micron 198, 2025, Art. No. 103878, DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2025.103878
- L. Fiedler, T. C. Ma, B. Fritsch, M. Dierner, D. Hoffmeister, C. Rubach, J. Will, T. Przybilla, E. Spiecker, D. Dworschak, K. J. J. Mayrhofer, A. Hutzler, Stainless Steel 316L as Bipolar Plate Material in Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers: The Influence of Potential and Temperature on the Dissolution Stability, Materials Today Sustainability 31, 2025, Art. No. 101155, DOI: 10.1016/j.mtsust.2025.101155
- H. Wang, P. Pfeifer, W. Lai, A. Göpfert, S. Lim, W. Zhao, A. L. Morales, M. Goßler, M. Malinovic, P. Bhuyan, W. A. Parada, P. Nikolaienko, K. J. J. Mayrhofer, G. Fortunato, A. Hutzler, M. Ledendecker, Laser-Induced Nanoscale Engineering of Iridium-Based Nanoparticles for High-Performance Oxygen Evolution, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2025, Art. No. e202508589, DOI: 10.1002/anie.202508589
- P. Lauf, A. L. Morales, K. Ehelebe, A. Hutzler, K. J. J. Mayrhofer, V. Lloret, S. Cherevko, Benchmarking Performance and Degradation of Pt Supported on Different Carbons for PEMFC Applications Using Gas Diffusion Electrode Half-Cell, ACS Applied Energy Materials 8 (12), 2025, pp. 7939 - 7947, DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.5c00184
- D. Hoffmeister, S. Finger, R. Pokhrel, B. Fritsch, S. Thiele, A. Hutzler, C. van Pham, Shell-Thickness Optimization of TiO2@IrO2 Core-Shell Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis, Chemical Engineering Journal 517, 2025, Art. No. 164281, DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2025.164281
- T. C. Ma, A. Hutzler, R. Hanke-Rauschenbach, S. Thiele, Anode catalyst layer optimization in polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis: modeling catalyst layer properties and interface effects, Electrochemistry Communications 178, 2025, Art. No. 107965, DOI: 10.1016/j.elecom.2025.107965
- M. Geuß, L. Löttert, A. Hutzler, J. Schwarz, J. Nováková, I. Khalakhan, M. Gaberšek, K. J. J. Mayrhofer, S. Thiele, S. Cherevko, Platinum interlayers reduce charge transport barriers between amorphous Ir-oxide OER electrocatalysts and the porous transport layer, Chemical Engineering Journal 514, 2025, Art. No. 162887, DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2025.162887
- G. De Salvo, S. Merkens, A. Körner, B. Fritsch, P. Malgaretti, A. Hutzler, A. Chuvilin, A workflow for modeling radiolysis in chemically, physically, and geometrically complex scenarios, iScience 28 (5), 2025, Art. No. 112374, DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112374
- T. Stigler, S. Auffarth, M. Wagner, A. Hutzler, S. Thiele, and J. Kerres, Towards High-Temperature Fuel Cells using Sulfonated-Phosphonated Poly(pentafluorostyrene), Chemical Communications 61 (27), 2025, DOI: 10.1039/D4CC06418F
- A. Ellert, F. Ding, A. Hutzler, F. Herold, L. Piccirilli, M. Rønning, T. V. W. Janssens, D. Wisser, P. Schühle, Solvent-free phosphorus modification of Pt/Al2O3 catalysts to improve dispersion and dehydrogenation activity, Applied Catalysis A: General 696, 2025, Art. No. 120199, DOI: 10.1016/j.apcata.2025.120199
- J. S. Choi, G. V. Fortunato, M. Malinovic, E. S. Koh, R. Aymerich-Armengol, C. Scheu, H. Wang, A. Hutzler, M. R. V. Lanza, M. Ledendecker, Decoding Systematic Effects and Mass Transport in H2O2 Production via Aux/C ORR Electrocatalysis, Nano Energy 137, 2025, Art. No. 110811, DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2025.110811
- B. Fritsch, S. Lee, A. Körner, N. M. Schneider, F. M. Ross, A. Hutzler, The Influence of Ionizing Radiation on Quantification for in situ and operando Liquid-Phase Electron Microscopy, Advanced Materials 37 (13), 2025, Art. No. 2415728, DOI: 10.1002/adma.202415728
- L. Hager, T. Maron, T. N. Thanh, J. Stonawski, A. Hutzler, T. Böhm, P. Strasser, S. Thiele, J. Kerres, Polynorbornene Copolymers Combining Flexible Ether Side Chains and Rigid Hydrophobic Segments for AEMWE, Journal of Materials Chemistry A 13 (11), 2025, DOI: 10.1039/d4ta07753a
- S. Ruck, A. Hutzler, L. Lahn, O. Kasian, S. Thiele, C. van Pham, A. T. S. Freiberg, Investigating H2 gas promoted Ir deposition on Pt black nanoparticles for synthesizing a bifunctional catalyst for OER and ORR in acidic media, ACS Catalysis 15 (4), 2025, pp. 3487 - 3498, DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.4c07208
- P. Martschin, T. Prölß, A. Hutzler, S. Thiele, J. Kerres, Preparation of a new class of phosphonated hydrocarbon polymers based on polysulfone, Polymer Chemistry 7 (16), 2025, pp. 879 - 890, DOI: 10.1039/D4PY01289E
- K. Bobzin, S. Finger, L. Zhao, H. Heinemann, E. Olesch, K. Radermacher, S. Pechmann, D. Possart, S. H. Christiansen, D. Hoffmeister, B. Fritsch, S. Thiele, A. Hutzler, Porosity-Zoned Porous Transport Layer for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis by High Velocity Flame Spraying, Advanced Engineering Materials 27 (5), 2025, Art. No. 2402462, DOI: 10.1002/adem.202402462
- J. Schwarz, M. Niebauer (equal contribution), L. Römling, A. Pham, M. Kolesnik-Gray, P. Evanschitzky, N. Vogel, V. Krstic, M. Rommel, A. Hutzler, Spectro-Spatial Demixing in Optical Microspectroscopy for Thickness Determination of Layered Materials, Advanced Optical Materials 13 (5), 2025, Art. No. 2402502, DOI: 10.1002/adom.202402502
- A. Körner, B. Fritsch, A. L. Morales, P. Malgaretti, A. Hutzler, Panta Rhei - Tuning Silver Nanostructure Evolution with Flow in Liquid Phase STEM, Nano Today 61, 2025, Art. No. 102575, DOI: 10.1016/j.nantod.2024.102575
- L. Hager, M. Schrodt, M. Hegelheimer, J. Stonawski, P. Leuaa, C. Chatzichristodoulou, A. Hutzler, T. Böhm, S. Thiele, J. Kerres, Cationic Groups in Quaternized Side-Chain Functionalized Polystyrene/O-PBI Blends influence Performance and Hydrogen Crossover in AEMWE, Chemical Communications 61 (1), 2025, pp. 149 - 152, DOI: 10.1039/D4CC05067C
2024
2023
2022
2021
Projects in our team
Last Modified: 08.08.2025