Doctoral defence: Gulnara Yusibova “TAL MOF-Derived M-N-C Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Evolution Reaction”

On 28 August at 13:15 Gulnara Yusibova will defend her doctoral thesis “TAL MOF-Derived M-N-C Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Evolution Reaction”.

Supervisors:
Assoc. Prof. Nadežda Kongi, PhD, University of Tartu
Prof. Kaido Tammeveski, PhD, University of Tartu

Opponent:
Assoc. Prof. Annukka Santasalo-Aarnio, Department of Mechanical Engineering School of Engineering, Aalto University (Finland)

Summary
The global transition to renewable energy requires efficient and affordable energy storage and conversion systems. Fuel cells and metal–air batteries are promising solutions, but they rely on oxygen-related reactions that currently require expensive platinum-based catalysts. This doctoral thesis focuses on developing new, cost-effective, and platinum-free catalysts based on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for these critical reactions. The research introduces a novel family of MOF materials, called TAL (TalTech–UniTartu Alliance Laboratory), designed to serve as precursors for high-performance electrocatalysts. By adjusting the metal content (cobalt, manganese, zinc) and synthesis conditions, the structure and activity of catalysts were precisely tuned. A thorough physico-chemical and electrochemical characterization of the catalyst materials was carried out. The resulting materials showed excellent performance in fuel cells and zinc–air batteries, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional precious-metal catalysts. This work contributes to the development of next-generation energy technologies by providing scalable and environmentally friendly materials for clean energy applications.