Talk by Professor Alex Rettie

Abstract
The development of next generation batteries is crucial to achieving net zero emissions targets in the coming decades. Advanced electrode and electrolyte materials are central to this effort but are hindered by reactive interfaces and complex degradation processes during cycling. 

In this talk, I will present our recent efforts in this area on three fronts: (i) discovery and development of “amorphous” solid-electrolyte coatings [1,2], (ii) local structure in disordered rock salt materials using single-crystal X-ray diffuse scattering and delta-PDF techniques, and (iii) heterogeneity in layered electrodes via spectro-ptychography [3]. The importance of combined experimental and modelling approaches will be highlighted.

1. Vadhva et al., Chem. Mater. 2023, 35(3), 1168-1176

2. Gill et al., ACS Appl. Ener. Mater. 2025, 8 (19), 14592-14600

3. Ziesche et al., arXiv, 2026

About the speaker

Alex Rettie is a Professor at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Energy). Prior to this post, he was Associate Professor at University College London (Chemical Engineering). His research focuses on the experimental discovery, synthesis and characterisation of materials for energy conversion and storage. In 2024, he co-founded Ocrea Energy Ltd to commercialise battery coating technologies. He was a post-doctoral researcher at Argonne National Laboratory (Material Science Division; 2015-2018) with Prof. M. G. Kanatzidis and Dr. Stephan Rosenkranz working on the discovery synthesis and X-ray/neutron scattering of new superionic and two-dimensional materials. He obtained his Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering) from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015 under the supervision of Prof. C. B. Mullins, where he studied metal oxide single crystals for (photo)electrochemical energy conversion and storage and undergraduate training at the University of Edinburgh (Chemical Engineering).