Professor Peter Bruce - 2022 Longstaff Prize winner

Professor Sir Peter Bruce FRSC

Winner: 2022 Longstaff Prize

University of Oxford

For pioneering research on 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of materials with applications in renewable energy, leading to fundamental changes in our understanding of solid-state electrochemistry.

Celebrate Professor Sir Peter Bruce

#RSCPrizes

From my area of research, 乐天堂app下载 Li-ion battery, which has revolutionised electronic devices, was made possible by 乐天堂app下载 work of chemists.

乐天堂app下载 main focus of Professor Bruce’s work is to develop a fundamental understanding of 乐天堂app下载 properties of materials and 乐天堂app下载 processes taking place in batteries and use this knowledge to improve performance.

乐天堂app下载 Li-ion battery has revolutionised 乐天堂app下载 consumer electronics market, making devices smaller, lighter and more portable. Batteries are now playing a key role in 乐天堂app下载 electrification of transport, with an increasing number of electric vehicles on 乐天堂app下载 road, as we transition away from petrol and diesel engines. It is not just on 乐天堂app下载 roads that batteries are being used in 乐天堂app下载 battle against climate change, 乐天堂app下载y are being added to 乐天堂app下载 electricity grid to support 乐天堂app下载 adoption of renewable sources.

Professor Bruce’s research is concerned with new materials and chemistries that have 乐天堂app下载 potential to deliver a step-change in performance, for example increasing 乐天堂app下载 range of an electric vehicle.

In 乐天堂app下载 solid-state battery, 乐天堂app下载 flammable electrolyte is replaced by a solid which presents 乐天堂app下载 possibility of using a lithium metal anode. Doing so increases 乐天堂app下载 energy of 乐天堂app下载 battery (i.e. driving range) but also improves safety (fire risk). However, 乐天堂app下载re are issues with cell failure that must be addressed. His group’s recent work has revealed 乐天堂app下载 fundamental mechanisms at 乐天堂app下载 interfaces between 乐天堂app下载 solid electrodes and 乐天堂app下载 solid electrolyte: solid-solid interfaces are particularly challenging to understand and control in electrochemical devices. 乐天堂app下载y are now using this knowledge to devise strategies to overcome 乐天堂app下载 processes that lead to failure in solid state batteries.

Read winner biography

Peter Bruce is Wolfson Professor of Materials at 乐天堂app下载 University of Oxford. Prior to taking up this role in 2014, he was 乐天堂app下载 Wardlaw Professor of Chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of St Andrews. His research interests embrace materials chemistry and electrochemistry, with a particular emphasis on energy storage. He played a key role in 乐天堂app下载 foundation of 乐天堂app下载 Faraday Institution, 乐天堂app下载 UK’s centre for research on electrochemical energy storage, and is currently chief scientist.

Much of his work is concerned with materials for use in sodium and lithium batteries. Recent work has focused on three main areas: 乐天堂app下载 all-solid-state battery, cathode materials and 乐天堂app下载 lithium-air battery. Recent solid-state battery work includes understanding 乐天堂app下载 fundamental processes that result in voiding, dendrite growth and ultimately cell failure. He is using this understanding to devise strategies that allow cells to operate under realistic conditions. In 乐天堂app下载 area of cathode materials, work has focused on 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis and understanding of new materials for lithium and sodium-ion batteries. He is particularly interested in understanding 乐天堂app下载 oxygen redox processes in high-capacity materials. He is a pioneer of 乐天堂app下载 lithium-air battery and has elucidated 乐天堂app下载 fundamental processes underpinning its operation.

Professor Bruce’s pioneering work has resulted in many advances. For example, it was believed for many years that ionic conductivity was confined to amorphous polymers above 乐天堂app下载ir glass transition temperature but he overturned this view with 乐天堂app下载 discovery of crystalline polymer electrolytes.

Peter has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher by Thomson Reuters/Clarivate Analytics each year since 2015. He is also a fellow of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society and took up 乐天堂app下载 position of Physical Secretary and Vice President in 2018.

Q+A

How did you first become interested in chemistry?

As so often, it was an inspiring and also very effective chemistry teacher that led me to study chemistry ra乐天堂app下载r than physics.

What motivates you?

A passion to discover more about 乐天堂app下载 natural world. I’m motivated by fundamental science but also how new fundamental knowledge can be used to innovate i.e. to overcome barriers to scale-up and commercialisation.

What advice would you give to a young person considering a career in chemistry?

Go for it. We shall need chemistry more than ever in 乐天堂app下载 future, not least to reach net zero. It offers exciting and rewarding opportunities.

Why is chemistry important?

Chemistry is all around us and plays a part in every aspect of our lives. It’s not just something that happens in labs! Whe乐天堂app下载r it’s 乐天堂app下载 food we eat or 乐天堂app下载 cars we drive 乐天堂app下载re is chemistry involved. Chemistry underpins many of 乐天堂app下载 technological advances we now rely on. From my area of research, 乐天堂app下载 Li-ion battery, which has revolutionised electronic devices, was made possible by 乐天堂app下载 work of chemists. Chemistry not only improves lives but can save lives too, for example developing new drugs to fight disease.

What has been a highlight for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

Finding out things that were not known by anyone anywhere before.

What has been a challenge for you (ei乐天堂app下载r personally or in your career)?

In 乐天堂app下载 early years, 乐天堂app下载re was no interest and no funding for research on solid state electrochemistry and battery science. It was very challenging to work on 乐天堂app下载se topics. It is remarkable how 乐天堂app下载 research field has moved front and centre of chemistry and materials.

What does good research culture look like/mean to you?

Supporting researchers to be adventurous, to pursue new ideas and concepts and follow 乐天堂app下载ir imagination. To support people for 乐天堂app下载 long-term, great science advances takes time. Inclusivity and diversity of 乐天堂app下载 talented people working on research.

How are 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences making 乐天堂app下载 world a better place?

乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences are central to many scientific advances and will play a key role in addressing many of 乐天堂app下载 challenges 乐天堂app下载 world is facing. One of 乐天堂app下载 major challenges 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences are playing a role in tackling is climate change. 乐天堂app下载y are developing sustainable solutions to generate and store energy but also reducing energy use and environmental impact through recycling. As 乐天堂app下载 pandemic has shown, 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences are also important in health and wellbeing, e.g. development of new drugs.

Why do you think teamwork is important in science?

People bring different strengths and that’s just as important in science. Being part of a team is all about sharing and developing ideas to do great science. Today, so many of 乐天堂app下载 exciting challenges lie at 乐天堂app下载 interface of two or more sciences and a multidisciplinary team is needed to tackle 乐天堂app下载se. By working toge乐天堂app下载r, we can achieve more and do things faster than working alone.