Highlights

Kerem Sahiner

kerem sahiner smallKerem Sahiner is currently an undergraduate student studying Mechanical Science & Engineering. He is an intern at the Rutgers Energy Institute for the summer of 2016, working with Professor Manish Chhowalla's research group.esearch group.

1: Please briefly describe your research. The research I conducted this summer was to explore and increase the efficiency of producing hydrogen in the hydrogen evolution reaction. Hydrogen is a good and cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. I worked with creating thin layered materials molybdenum disulfide and niobium disulfide and then tested their performance as catalysts for producing hydrogen. I created the materials using a process called chemical vapor deposition, and then transferred the materials onto a conductive electrode where the hydrogen evolution reaction occurred.

2: How did you come to be involved in this research? I was already working with these materials with the Rutgers nano-materials and devices group for two semesters. My professor told me about this internship and the materials I was working with had good electro-chemical applications. I shifted to focus onto using these materials to produce hydrogen for fuel cells.

3: Where do you see your research fitting into our energy future? Fossil fuels will not last forever and they are having a significant impact on the environment. Sooner or later, alternatives to fossil fuels will be necessary. Hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels and has the highest energy density. So in the up coming years, the focus on using hydrogen as an energy carrier will increase greatly.