Kirill Sobolev, Ph.D | Postdoc
Background: I finished my B.Sc. (2015) and M.Sc. (2017) in Physics in Lomonosov Moscow State University, my Master Thesis was dedicated to the study of magnetic MAX phases - nano-lamellar metal-ceramic compounds. I continued this work during my Ph.D. research in the Research and Educational Center “Smart Materials and Biomedical Applications” (REC “SM&BA”) of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University. In 2022 I defended my Ph.D. Thesis, entitled "Magnetic and transport properties of (Cr1-xMnx)2AlC MAX-phase". However, during the last three years I moved on from bulk MAX phases towards two-dimensional derivatives thereof – MXenes. I was working on synthesis and characterization of various type MXenes for such applications as environmental remediation (water purification and gas sensorics), biomedicine (cancer treatment) and composite materials preparation for "wearable" electronics. Recently I came to Ben Gurion University of the Negev for my Postdoctoral research which will be focused on the application of MXenes in halide perovskite solar cells to improve their stability and efficiency.
Scientific interests : My main interest lays in the area of designing and studying novel nano-materials towards applications, urgent to solve problems facing nowadays humanity. I focus on two-dimensional materials, especially MXenes, as they provide wide room for the property tuning. I am fascinated about how the same material can be promising for energy harvesting and elector-chemical storage, molecular-level sensing, environmental remediation, biomedical applications, etc. Another area of interest for me is how MXenes can be combined with other nano-materials (for example, magnetic and plasmon nano-particles) to form multi-functional nano-composites. I enjoy working in a lab, performing both synthesis and complex characterization of materials, I am keen of finding new approaches and optimizing the existing ones to rationalize the output of my experiments. Recently I also strated studying modeling techniques and machine learning methods in order to proceed to computer-assisted materials screening and development of materials with per-assigned features.
Hobbies: Snowboarding, surfing (I tried it one time and enjoyed); hiking; traveling, active entertainment (ATVs, karting, beach volleyball, etc.), punk rock