Professor Sir Peter Bruce FRSC

Winner: 2022 Longstaff Prize

University of Oxford

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read winner biography

Peter Bruce is Wolfson Professor of Materials at the University of Oxford. Prior to taking up this role in 2014, he was the Wardlaw Professor of Chemistry at the 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 the foundation of the Faraday Institution, the 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: the all-solid-state battery, cathode materials and the lithium-air battery. Recent solid-state battery work includes understanding the 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 the area of cathode materials, work has focused on the synthesis and understanding of new materials for lithium and sodium-ion batteries. He is particularly interested in understanding the oxygen redox processes in high-capacity materials. He is a pioneer of the lithium-air battery and has elucidated the 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 their glass transition temperature but he overturned this view with the 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 the Royal Society and took up the 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 rather than physics.

What motivates you?

A passion to discover more about the 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 the 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! Whether it’s the food we eat or the cars we drive there is chemistry involved. Chemistry underpins many of the technological advances we now rely on. From my area of research, the Li-ion battery, which has revolutionised electronic devices, was made possible by the 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 (either personally or in your career)?

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

What has been a challenge for you (either personally or in your career)?

In the early years, there was no interest and no funding for research on solid state electrochemistry and battery science. It was very challenging to work on these topics. It is remarkable how the 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 their imagination. To support people for the long-term, great science advances takes time. Inclusivity and diversity of the talented people working on research.

How are the chemical sciences making the world a better place?

The chemical sciences are central to many scientific advances and will play a key role in addressing many of the challenges the world is facing. One of the major challenges the chemical sciences are playing a role in tackling is climate change. They are developing sustainable solutions to generate and store energy but also reducing energy use and environmental impact through recycling. As the pandemic has shown, the 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 the exciting challenges lie at the interface of two or more sciences and a multidisciplinary team is needed to tackle these. By working together, we can achieve more and do things faster than working alone.