Dr Israel Temprano Farina

Research Interests

My scientific interests lie in the development of novel materials for energy related applications. Highly efficient and robust electrochemical processes will be crucial for the widespread implementation of technologies making use of renewable sources of energy for generation (e.g. photovoltaics), storage (e.g. batteries & supercapacitors) and transformation (e.g. carbon-capture, hydrogen generation, water purification, etc.). The development of novel materials that outperform the current state-of-the-art or enable next-generation applications with ultra-high efficiency will rely on a deeper understanding of their activity, at smaller time and length scales and during operando conditions. In particular, the main current limitations in the implementation of improved energy solutions rest in our inability for controlling the reactivity at the interfaces of their components (electrode-electrolyte).

My research studies these interactions in electro-chemical systems using common characterization techniques adapted for operando measurements. For that purpose, I have developed novel techniques with which to study energy storage devices while in operation. Initially, I designed and developed two operando gas-analysis systems to study reactions occurring during cycling of different types of batteries (schematically represented in image): A system of multiple pressure monitoring devices (PMS), and a high-resolution online electrochemical mass spectrometer (OEMS), which can detect and quantify the evolution of individual gases with great mass and time resolution (<1 picomol/s). I am currently developing similarly operando techniques for battery monitoring based on XRD, MS, NMR and EPR for various technologies.

These systems, allowed me to study efficiency improvements in different battery architectures, such as Li-Air (e.g. Joule, 2020), organic redox flow (e.g. Nature, 2020), lithium-ion batteries (e.g. ACS Energy Lett., 2022), and carbon capture devices (e.g. Nanoscale, 2022), in collaboration with academic institutions and consortiums (Faraday Institution, ALISTORE-ERI, Oxford, UCSD, etc.) and several industrial partners (Johnson Matthey, Umicore, Nyobolt, etc.).

Career path

I am a senior RA (2022-) and PI at the University of Cambridge and associated RA at ALISTORE-ERI (2019-), The Faraday Institution (2020-), and the Graphene Flagship (2022-) leading teams that develop post-intercalation batteries, and tackle degradation in Li-ion batteries, as well as consultant for Nyobolt (2022-).

Prior to working in the Energy Storage field, I worked in the disciplines of Surface Science and catalysis as Co-I leading the Spectroscopy team of the Surface Science Research group (2009-2015), and as Marie-Curie PDRA at the University of Liverpool (2009). Surface Science was also my field of study during MSc (2006) and PhD (2010) research programs at Laval University, Canada.