Truls Norby

Applied and academic fields of interest

I work with materials chemistry and technologies for energy conversion, renewable energy, carbon capture, hydrogen, hydrogen-based green energy carriers like ammonia, solar fuels, and air purification.

Scientifically, I work with defects and defect-related properties in functional ceramic materials at high temperatures. This comprises defect chemistry and its thermodynamics, diffusion and mobility of defects, conductivity and permeability, kinetics, electrocatalysis, and photoelectrochemistry.

A specialty is protons in oxides, and we are currently interested also in neutral hydrogen species and hydride ions in oxidic environments. We study and develop proton conductors, oxide ion conductors, electronic conductors, and mixed conductors for high temperature fuel cells and electrolysers, sensors, and dense, inorganic gas separation membranes for separation of oxygen, hydrogen, and CO₂ (for CCS). We also engage in studies of fundamental processes involved in the degradation of such materials.

The Group for Electrochemistry works in the emerging field of nano-ionics, taking tools and concepts from nano-technology into use to understand and develop the properties of nano-dimensional structures; surfaces, electrodes, interfaces (phase, grain, and domain boundaries), nano-cages, and nano-particles. In particular we study presently protonic transport in nanoporous ceramics, the effect of space charge on defects and transport in and across interfaces, and oxide nanotubes as photoelectrodes.

Another interest is oxide thermoelectrics - a great opportunity for crossdisciplinary research with physicists. I am interested in thermoelectric properties and stability of materials and oxide-oxide heterojunctions at high temperatures. 

We combine experimental studies with DFT-based and other theoretical modelling.

Join our group?

You can study for MSc in Electrochemistry by regular application to the MSc programs in Chemistry or Materials Science and Nanotechnology at UiO.

If you want to join as PhD student or post-doc researcher, you can do this by finding open announcements for such positions on the UiO or other web, and by applying online. Do not write to me directly - I cannot hire people, and cannot answer all such requests. If - and only if - you have your own full funding for travel, accommodation, and subsistence in Oslo, you can make an enquiry to me for the possibility to join as PhD student, visiting researcher, or intern.

Teaching

I teach at courses in Materials, Energy and Nanotechnology (MENA) and in Chemistry (KJM):

• MENA 1001 Materials, energy and nanotechnology
• KJM 3110 Electrochemistry
• KJM 5120/9120 Defects and reactions

Background

• Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, 1995...
• Assistant, post-doc, researcher, visiting researcher, assoc. professor 1987-1994
• Dr. Scient., Chemistry, Dept. Chemistry, UiO, 1986
• Cand. Scient., Inorganic chemistry, Dept. Chemistry, UiO, 1981

Other activities

• Head, Section/Group for Electrochemistry, Dept. Chem., UiO
• Editor, Solid State Ionics (Elsevier)
• President, International Society for Solid State Ionics 2019-2021
• Founding CEO, NORECS AS
• Member of executive board , CoorsTek Membrane Sciences AS (formerly Protia AS)
• Founding CEO, Jiangyin NorEn Material Technology Co., Ltd., Jiangsu, China
• Founding CEO, Nano Rocks AS 

Some important collaboration partners

• SINTEF Industry, Oslo
• Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Kjeller
• NTNU, Institute for Materials Technology
• University of Agder (UiA); Grimstad
• Chalmers
• DTU, Fuel cells and hydrogen
• Research Centre Jülich, IWV
• CSIC-ITQ, Valencia, Spain