Welcome
Join us in London in July 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 supramolecular gels. It will provide an ideal forum for cross-fertilisation of ideas and understanding between the distinct but adjacent communities working in this exciting field. On behalf of the organising committee, we look forward to welcoming you to London.
Why attend?
Find out more about Faraday Discussions in the video and FAQs – see Useful links on the right.A unique conference format that prioritises discussion
At a Faraday Discussion, the primary research papers written by the speakers are distributed to all participants before the meeting – ensuring that most of the meeting is devoted to discussing the latest research.
This provides a genuinely collaborative environment, where discussion and debate are at the foreground. All delegates, not just speakers, are invited to make comments, ask questions, or present complementary or contradictory measurements and calculations.
An exciting programme of talks – and more
Take part in a well-balanced mix of talks, discussion, poster sessions and informal networking, delivered by our expert events team. You can explore the full programme in the downloadable files on the right – whether you’re attending in-person or online, every minute provides an opportunity.
The conference dinner, included in the registration fee, contains the Marlow Cup ceremony: a unique commemoration of past Faraday Discussion organisers that is sure to encourage further discussions over dinner.
In-depth discussion with leaders in the field
World-leading and established researchers connect with each other and early-career scientists and postgraduate students to discuss the latest research and drive science forwards. It’s a unique atmosphere – and challenging others to get to the heart of the problem is encouraged!
Your contributions, published and citable
A citable record of the discussion is published in the Faraday Discussions journal, alongside the research papers. Questions, comments and remarks become a valuable part of the published scientific conversation, and every delegate can make a major contribution.
Discover London
The Discussion will take place in London. Step out to explore the city while you’re here – or stay a few extra days to explore the city further and the surrounding area.
Themes
This discussion will focus on evolving understanding of the Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) on reactive lithium metal anodes and beyond. Commercialised for the first time thirty years ago, Li-ion batteries have seen remarkable success in electric vehicles over the past decade, but the desire for higher energy and longer driving range motivates consideration of new cell chemistries, including those utilizing metallic anodes with liquid and solid electrolytes as well as other beyond-Li working ions. These materials face interfacial challenges stemming from the thermodynamic instability of nearly all electrolytes at anode potentials, but can be kinetically stabilized by formation of an SEI derived from electrolyte and active material. The SEI performs crucial protective, transport, and mechanical functions and intimately controls cycle life. Despite its crucial role, the SEI has remained notoriously difficult to characterize, and connections between chemistry, properties, function, and performance are still being uncovered.This Faraday Discussion will focus on both the fundamentals and more recent understanding of the SEI. 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.
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.
