Author, Institution: Mohamed Ahmed Mahgoub Mohamed Salih Baba, Kaunas University of Technology
Science area, field of science: Technological Sciences, Materials Engineering, T008
Research supervisor: Prof. Dr.Tomas Tamulevičius (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Materials Engineering, T008)
Dissertation Defence Board of Materials Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Hab. Arvaidas Galdikas (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Materials Engineering, T008) – chairperson
Chief Researcher Dr. Mindaugas Gedvilas (State Research Institute Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology, Technological Sciences, Materials Engineering, T008)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jakub Karczewski (Gdansk University of Technology, Poland, Technological Sciences, Materials Engineering, T008)
Prof. Dr. Liutauras Marcinauskas (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Materials Engineering, T008)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tomas Šalkus (Vilnius University, Technological Sciences, Materials Engineering, T008)
Dissertation defence meeting will be at Rectorate Hall of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio 73-402, Kaunas)
The doctoral dissertation is available at the library of Kaunas University of Technology (Gedimino 50, Kaunas) and on the internet: M. A. Mahgoub Mohamed Salih Baba el. dissertation.pdf
© M. A. Mahgoub Mohamed Salih Baba, 2026 “The text of the thesis may not be copied, distributed, published, made public, including by making it publicly available on computer networks (Internet), reproduced in any form or by any means, including, but not limited to, electronic, mechanical or other means. Pursuant to Article 25(1) of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Lithuania, a person with a disability who has difficulties in reading a document of a thesis published on the Internet, and insofar as this is justified by a particular disability, shall request that the document be made available in an alternative form by e-mail to doktorantura@ktu.lt.”
Annotation: The performance and long-term durability of solid oxide cells (SOCs) are strongly influenced by the porous Ni–YSZ anode support and the Crofer 22 APU metallic interconnect. Conventional surface modification techniques often introduce thermal damage or provide limited control over surface morphology, restricting improvements in electrochemical performance and durability. This dissertation investigates femtosecond laser processing as a high-precision surface engineering technique for modifying these two critical SOC components. Blind micro-hole arrays with different geometries and densities were fabricated in commercial Ni–YSZ anode supports, while laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were generated on Crofer 22 APU steel. The laser-fabricated micro-hole arrays significantly improved gas transport, reduced polarization losses, and enhanced the electrochemical performance of SOCs without compromising their structural integrity. On Crofer 22 APU, femtosecond laser processing produced well-defined LIPSS that modified surface roughness, wettability, oxide formation, and corrosion behavior while preserving the substrate’s crystalline structure. The scientific novelty of this work lies in demonstrating the application of femtosecond laser processing to simultaneously engineer two key SOC components and in establishing the relationship between laser processing parameters, surface evolution, and electrochemical performance, providing a basis for the development of high-performance and durable solid oxide cell technologies.