We are delighted to announce the next in series of our webinars.

Please join us this Friday (6th November) @1400 for an insightful talk by Dr Robert Weatherup; Associate Professor at the Department of Materials at the University of Oxford

Title: Looking below the surface: Probing battery interfaces in action

Abstract: Understanding the chemical reactions that occur at electrochemical interfaces is critical to selecting and designing improved materials for energy storage, corrosion prevention, and chemical synthesis. Soft X-ray spectroscopies can provide powerful element- and chemical-state-specific information with the required nanometer-scale interface sensitivity, but have traditionally required high vacuum conditions, impeding studies of interfaces under realistic liquid environments. I will introduce several membrane-based approaches we have developed over recent years to bridge this pressure gap, enabling operando x-ray photoelectron and absorption spectroscopy (XPS/XAS) of solid-liquid interfaces. These rely on reaction environments sealed with X-ray/electron-transparent membranes, that can sustain large pressure drops to the high-vacuum measurement chamber. I will show how these membrane-based approaches can be applied to study the chemical evolution of electrode-electrolyte interfaces including solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation in Li-ion batteries. I will also give a perspective on future directions that will enable these techniques to be extended to ever more realistic materials systems and operating conditions.

To register, please follow this link.

As we all adjust to social distancing in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the STFC Batteries Network is taking steps to stay connected through online engagement with an expanded webinar programme. If you have any suggestions for us or if we can offer you any specific assistance, please let us know.