Solid electrolyte interphases in next-gen batteries Faraday Discussion

13/07/2026 - 15/07/2026

Organised by the RSC, this Faraday Discussion will focus on both the fundamentals and more recent understanding of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) on reactive lithium metal anodes and beyond. New insights have been enabled by improved computational and experimental tools, and advances in materials design of both liquid and solid electrolytes have yielded vast new platforms for study. With this Discussion, we aim to highlight such advances and emergent understanding while deepening and integrating connections with the foundations of SEI science and engineering, providing perspective on the state of the field and research needs in coming years.

Oral abstracts deadline: 27 October 2025

Poster abstracts deadline: 5 May 2026

For all details, visit the event website.

The meeting will comprise the following four interrelated themes:

Lithium anodes with liquid electrolytes

In liquid electrolytes, Li anode Coulombic efficiency (CE) and cycle life are limited by inhomogeneous plating/stripping, continued gradual reaction of the electrolyte with freshly exposed Li, and formation of electronically isolated “dead” lithium. This session will cover advanced liquid electrolyte design; relations between electrolyte and native SEI composition and properties; the SEI in Li-free cells, including role of the current collector; evolving understanding degradation modes governed by the SEI; and modelling of representative systems.

Lithium anodes with solid electrolytes

Instability and reactions at the Li-solid electrolyte (SE) interface drive formation of an SEI or a mixed-conducting interphase (MCI), causing Li inventory losses, impedance rises, and hindered transport and kinetics at the anode∣SE interface, both leading to poor battery cycle life. This session covers mechanisms of SEI formation and growth in solids; experimentally accessing the SEI; understanding the link between SEI properties and charge transfer resistance; the coupling of degradation to Li inventory losses and CE in lithium-containing and lithium-free cells; and modelling of representative systems.

Beyond lithium chemistries

Beyond-Li chemistries promise greater sustainability, potentially lower cost, and diversification in light of materials supply challenges, but their SEI remain far less-well understood than Li. This session focuses on beyond-Li anodes for sodium-ion, potassium-ion, and zinc metal batteries, including advances in electrolyte design; understanding of SEI properties including composition, nanostructure, and stability; and cell design considerations.

Characterisation techniques

The observed nanostructure and composition of the SEI can be strongly influenced by sample preparation and reliance on post-mortem analysis, which is often aggressive towards the sample. This session addresses emerging techniques as well as improvements to existing methods, including cryo- based imaging and spectroscopy methods; novel operando techniques; analytical chemical methods; and related sample preparation and handling.