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Head of the Research Group: Ville Miikkulainen, PhD, Assistant Professor

Prof. Miikkulainen established the Atomically Controlled Materials Engineering (ACME) research group in 2024. He received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Joensuu in 2008, where his doctoral research focused on atomic layer deposition (ALD) of tungsten and molybdenum nitride thin films for tribological applications. He has over 20 years of experience in ALD across academia, research institutes, and industry, with positions at the University of Joensuu, Picosun Oy, the University of Oslo, the University of Helsinki, Beneq Oy, and Aalto University. His experience covers both fundamental and applied aspects of ALD, including precursor development, thin film growth mechanisms, and material and process development for various applications.

Currently his research focuses on ALD engineering of energy materials, ALD process development and methodological development of photo-assisted ALD (Photo-ALD). Emphasis within energy materials is on sustainable lithium-ion battery electrode materials and their functional optimization by development of synthesis approaches and surface engineering by ALD. Within ALD and Photo-ALD, work involves development and synthesis of new precursors as well as instrument development, to realize new process and thin-film material concepts for applications in energy and microelectronics.

Ahmed Othman
M.Sc., Doctoral Candidate

Background: 
Ahmed Othman graduated with honors in 2024 from the Master’s Programme in Chemical, Biochemical and Materials Engineering at Aalto University, majoring in Functional Materials and Microfabrication with a minor in Photonics and Nanotechnology. His MSc thesis focused on the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces via maskless lithography, where a significant component of the work involved protective thin film coatings deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). He began his professional career as a petroleum engineer and later worked as a Process Development Engineer, building strong expertise in chemistry, materials science, and thin film process engineering.

His doctoral research focuses on the development of sustainable lithium-ion battery chemistries that eliminate the use of cobalt by replacing it with more abundant manganese-based materials. Through atomic-scale interface engineering using ALD, he investigates cathode surface modification strategies to enhance electrochemical stability and performance. The goal of his dissertation is to enable high-performance, cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries through precise atomic layer interface engineering.

Pasi Vikberg

Ph.D., Postdoctoral Researcher

Pasi earned his PhD in 2021 from the University of Turku, where he focused on the catalytic properties of transition metal (Mo, W, and V) complexes in chemical feedstock valorization. He later worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Universities of Jyväskylä and Helsinki, and as a research fellow under the Post Docs in Companies (PoDoCo) program at Weeefiner Oy in Jyväskylä. There, his research focus shifted to the organometallic chemistry of rare‑earth elements for single‑molecule magnet applications (JYU), rare‑earth element recovery from industrial wastewater (Weeefiner Oy), and the activation of small molecules, such as catalytic nitrogen reduction (N2RR), using heterobimetallic rare‑earth/transition metal and transition metal/main group 14 metal complexes. Pasi has a strong background and passion for synthetic organometallic and organic chemistry, and in 2026 he joined the ACME Group at Aalto University, where he focuses on developing novel transition metal‑based precursors for atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes.

Yupu Tang
M.Sc., Doctoral Researcher

Yupu received his M.Sc. degree in Materials Physics and Chemistry from Peking University in 2024.  His research experience in atomic layer deposition (ALD) began at the start of his master’s studies in September 2021, during which he worked on ALD process development and the application of ALD thin films in photoelectrocatalysis and semiconductor devices.

Yupu's doctoral research focuses on novel photo-assisted atomic layer deposition (Photo-ALD), aiming to enable lithography-free patterning. His work includes process development, mechanistic studies, and the exploration of Photo-ALD for potential applications in microelectronic devices.

Shreeram Pillai 

M.Sc., Doctoral Candidate

Shreeram Pillai is a doctoral researcher working on manganese-based sustainable cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. He received his M.Sc. in Physics, with a specialization in Materials Science, from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, India, in 2023. During his master’s studies, he investigated nickel-based Prussian Blue Analogues as cathode materials for potassium-ion batteries. He later worked as a research assistant and project staff at ICT Mumbai and IIT Bombay, respectively, where he gained experience in sodium- and lithium-ion battery systems.

His doctoral research focuses on improving the electrochemical performance and stability of manganese-based cathode materials, with the broader aim of reducing reliance on cobalt-containing battery chemistries. He aims to engineer both the surface and bulk structure of cathode particles to mitigate performance degradation during cycling. Through this, he intends to gain a fundamental understanding of how surface modifications influence cathode-electrolyte interactions, interfacial stability, and overall battery performance.

For material synthesis, he employs a range of techniques, including hydrothermal synthesis, solid-state synthesis, and microwave-assisted synthesis. In addition, he uses Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) to engineer the Cathode-Electrolyte Interface (CEI), enabling controlled surface modification of cathode materials for improved stability and electrochemical performance.

Haoxuan You
M.Sc., Doctoral Candidate

Background:
Haoxuan You is a doctoral researcher at Aalto University working at the intersection of electrochemistry, materials engineering, and interface science. He holds a B.Sc. in Materials Science and Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and earned his M.Sc. through the EIT-labelled programme in Functional Materials & Entrepreneurship, with study and research experience across EPFL (Switzerland), Aalto University (Finland), and the University of Bordeaux (France). During his master’s studies, he also gained hands-on experience in lithium-ion battery cathode materials, working on electrochemical performance and degradation-relevant diagnostics. In his master’s thesis at EPFL, he investigated liquid metal nano-electrocatalysts for CO₂ reduction, combining colloidal synthesis, electrochemical performance in flow cells.

His doctoral research focuses on lithium-mediated nitrogen reduction (LiNRR)for green ammonia synthesis, with an emphasis on understanding and engineering the solid–electrolyte interphase (SEI) on gas-diffusion-type cathodes. Using a materials-by-design approach, he develops artificial interphases via atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) to control interfacial composition and structure, reduce variability in initial electrode states, and reveal how SEI formation pathways govern lithium utilization, parasitic reactions, and ammonia selectivity. The broader goal is to establish mechanistic, design-relevant links between engineered interfaces and stable, efficient LiNRR operation.