Xavier Kouoi studied analytical chemistry at the University Technological Institute of Créteil-Vitry (IUT Créteil-Vitry) in France. He complemented this coursework with a 12-month work-study program as an apprentice at Saint-Gobain Recherche on a parameter study on thin-layer wet coating methods with a focus on wet surface stability. Then, he obtained his engineering degree in chemistry and specialized in materials science from the National Graduate School of Chemistry of Paris (ENSCP) in 2021. His master’s thesis was carried out at Solvay on the synthesis and characterization of a solid sorbent for highly selective extraction of salts from diluted aqueous media. Finally, Xavier worked for a year at Solvay on the Naima H2020 project (WP3) on the development of the NVPF cathode material. His mission was to understand and validate the access route upscale from lab to pilot while retaining physico-chemical properties and electrochemical performances. This experience allowed him to acquire skills in synthesis and characterization of cathode materials.

Xavier joined CIC energiGUNE in December 2022 as a PhD candidate shared with TU Delft, and co-funded by ALISTORE ERI and NWO. His thesis is on the development of a novel lithium-rich disordered antiperovskite Li2FeOS cathode material for high-power solid-state batteries.

• Materials science and characterization
• Inorganic cathode materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries
• Investigation and identication of critical parameters in multi-step inorganic reactions
• Positive impact on society and the environment

• Inorganic synthesis
• Structural and elemental analysis
• Particle size distribution and BET surface analysis
• Electron microscopy
• Ampoule sealing and glassblowing