Amit
Manor Armon

Amit Manor Armon is a PhD student in the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology under the supervision of Prof. Charles Diesendruck.

Amit’s research focuses on a new methodology for the design and synthesis of kinetically stable quaternary ammonium (QA) salts for renewable energy applications.

Electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells and flow batteries, are seen as game- changing opportunities for the storage and conversion of green energy. QA are embedded in anion exchange membranes which are, in terms of lifetime, the limiting component in these devices. By modelling different degradation pathways and varying electronic and steric parameters, Amit aims to identify the QA weak spots, synthesize new “hits,” and test their stability experimentally. Her unique approach of modelling prior to synthesis will allow for better understanding of the structure–property relationships in bottom-up QA design, hopefully promoting their implementation in the green energy field.

Amit was born and raised in Haifa, where she currently lives with her husband and daughter. Her academic path started in high school when she enrolled in the Technion Archimedes chemistry program. After five years of military service as, mostly, an intelligence officer, she returned to the academic world, completing her BSc in chemistry and art history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she also pursued her MSc in chemistry under the supervision of Prof. Ori Gidron. In her free time, Amit enjoys hiking with her family and horseback riding.