Friday, 26 September 2025 2:00pm – 3:00pm

This seminar will be delivered in Lecture Theatre 4

Speaker: Dr Bryce Mullens

Host: Prof. Brendan Kennedy

Title: Resolving Fast Synthesis Kinetics of Inorganic Materials from In Situ X-Ray Diffraction Studies

Abstract
The synthesis of functional inorganic materials is traditionally performed in closed systems, such as at high temperature in a furnace or at high pressure in a hydrothermal autoclave. This creates a ‘black box’ problem, where reactions proceed but can only be assessed for product formation, potential side reactions, byproducts, or impurities afterwards. This limitation poses a bottleneck in the iterative process of materials discovery.

In situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction offers a powerful way to peer inside this ‘black box’. While conventional in situ experiments use slow heating over several hours to track reaction progression, recent studies have suggested that these reactions proceed much faster, often within a few seconds [1].

A series of case studies will be presented, highlighting the synthesis of materials useful for energy storage observed in real time using custom-built sample environments [2]. This enables temperature- and time-resolved tracking of reaction pathways under realistic synthesis conditions [3]. The earliest stages of reactions are captured, revealing transient metastable intermediates with unique properties that can be trapped and stabilised at room temperature.

By probing these rapid transformations, we gain critical insight into the mechanisms governing product formation and phase selectivity, offering a pathway to more predictive, rapid, and controlled synthesis of functional inorganic materials.

[1] Kamm, G.E., Huang, G., Vornholt, S.M., McAuliffe, R.D., Veith, G.M., Thornton, K.S., Chapman, K.W. (2022). J. Am. Chem. Soc., 124, 27.

[2] Hu, D., Beauvais, M.L., Mullens, B.G., Sanchez Monserrate, B.A., Vornholt, S.M., Kamm, G.E., Ferrari, J.J., Chupas, P.J., Chapman, K.W. (2024), J. Appl. Cryst., 57.

[3] Hu, D., Beauvais, M.L., Kamm, G.E., Mullens, B.G., Sanchez Monserrate, B.A., Vornholt, S.M., Chupas, P.J., Chapman, K.W. (2023), J. Am. Chem. Soc., 145, 49.

Bio
Dr Bryce Mullens is a current Postdoctoral Research Associate at Stony Brook University, New York, working under the inaugural Endowed Chair in Materials Chemistry, Professor Karena Chapman. His research focuses on developing advanced experimental approaches to study and control reaction pathways in real time for more efficient materials discovery.

He completed his PhD in Chemistry at the University of Sydney in 2024, including time as an AINSE SAAFE Fellow at the University of Paris-Saclay (2022), and as a Fulbright Postgraduate Fellow (2023) conducting research using in situ X-ray total scattering at the Advanced Photon Source.

His honours include the 2024 Stephen Wilkins Research Medal for contribution to understanding structure-functionality relationships in functional metal oxides for photocatalysis, and the 2025 International Union of Crystallography Young Scientist Award.