Katharina Marquardt

My group’s work is embedded in the Oxford Micromechanics & Microstructure Research Group (OMG) and stretches from understanding and characterising interface population changes during material life cycles to (geo) materials' interaction with the environment. Materials of key interest are those that find application for our transition to net zero and materials for applications under extreme conditions, from advanced ceramics to rocks and minerals. In my group, we are challenging the fundamental scientific understanding of the role of interfaces in designing new materials by tailoring their grain boundary populations via manufacturing and accelerating our transition to a net-zero carbon society. Examples include (i) the role of interfaces to tailor interface properties, (ii) the role of grain boundaries in hard materials and materials for cladding in nuclear fusion reactors (iii) we design new microstructures to enhance Na-Ion battery durability and performance, and (iv) develop new protocols for comprehensive characterization of the distribution of interfaces.