The transition to sustainable energy systems demands innovative materials that can efficiently store and convert energy under increasingly challenging electrochemical environments. Despite differences in function, energy conversion and storage technologies share critical challenges in materials design, interfacial stability, and durability under mechanical and chemical stress. In the first part of this talk, I will focus on transition metal (oxy)hydroxides as oxygen evolution electrocatalysis. Using a structure-property approach, I investigated how doping strategies, synthetic conditions, and local coordination environments influence catalytic performance. Through combined spectroscopic and electrochemical studies, I identified distinct active site geometries in nickel- and cobalt-based catalysts, offering new insights into how bonding and lattice distortions impact reaction kinetics and mechanism. 

In the second part of my talk, I will shift focus to electrochemical energy storage systems. Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are at the forefront of next-generation energy storage technologies, offering enhanced safety and energy density compared to conventional lithium-ion batteries. Although high-capacity conversion-type cathodes such as sulfur offer high capacities, these materials undergo dramatic volume changes during cycling that induce mechanical stress and interfacial degradation. Our findings link pressure signatures to specific reaction pathways and phase changes, revealing key degradation mechanisms and offering a roadmap for designing robust, energy-dense cathode composites. Together, these studies contribute to a broader understanding of how structure and dynamics across multiple scales dictate performance in next-generation electrochemical energy systems. 

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