Bridging electrochemical devices across Earth and space applications Faraday Discussion

02/11/2026 - 04/11/2026

Join the RSC in London in November 2026 for this edition of the Faraday Discussion series. The Faraday Discussions are unique international discussion meetings that address current and emerging topics at the forefront of the physical sciences.

This meeting is for established and early-career scientists, postgraduate students and industrial researchers working on various aspects of electrochemical devices across Earth and space applications. It will provide an ideal forum for cross-fertilisation of ideas and understanding between the distinct but adjacent communities working in this exciting field.

Two themes of particular interest to the Faraday Institution community are:

Innovations in battery technologies for space applications 
Batteries have to be able to operate over a long life-span in space, maintaining for example a high specific capacity while tolerating extreme temperature fluctuations. We will discuss the formation and composition of the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) in batteries terrestrially and in microgravity, including processes such as dendrite formation, and examine new battery materials and developments for space applications that could also benefit terrestrial designs due to their temperature tolerance, efficiencies and performance cycles in extreme environments.

Interfacial processes in electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices 
In space, electrochemical devices are forced to operate under reduced gravity. This is the most significant difference between terrestrial and space electrochemical systems, as the reduced gravitational environment causes a substantial reduction of the buoyancy force, impacting important interfacial processes such as gas bubble growth, detachment, and convection that in turn affect reaction overpotentials and system energy requirements. Interfacial processes also influence electrochemical devices terrestrially, e.g. electrolyser efficiencies are significantly reduced when efficient gas bubble removal cannot be realised. We will discuss the fundamental aspects of electrochemical gas bubble evolution and other micro- and macroscopic processes that impact the efficiency of gas-evolving electrochemical devices and outline effective approaches to improve their performance terrestrially and in space.

Call for abstracts is open! 

For oral presentations the deadline is 2 March 2026.

For poster presentations the deadline is 7 September 2026.

Visit the event website for all details.