Oxford Materials

Net Zero aviation: is it pie in the sky, or a genuine scientific aim?

Listen to Dr Tamsin Whitfield as she discusses her research with Oxford Sparks

How do you build the aeroplane of the future? - Oxford Sparks In 2022, 7% of the UK's total carbon emissions came from the aviation sector - a figure that's on the rise.

The has announced a major extension to the SOLBAT programme, worth £15.7M to 2030.

Working with Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK and Gelion plc, and supported by the UK Battery Innovation Programme, the project will integrate Gelion's nano-encapsulated sulfur cathode technology into next generation solid-state battery systems. This will be combined with Nissan's advanced battery development capabilities, and Oxford's expertise in lithium alloys and interphases for solid-state batteries.

This coordinated national investment reflects a strategic commitment to advancing the UK's progress with next-generation battery technologies.

Read more on our website: https://www.materials.ox.ac.uk/article/a-new-phase-for-solid-state-batteries.

Dust, leaves and shade used to be the kryptonite of solar panels - but not for much longer!

The City University of Hong Kong and University of Oxford 's Department of Materials have been working on overcoming this problem with tandem solar cells. If the tandem panels become as robust as the mainstream silicon versions, we could all be paying a lot less for electricity by the mid 2030s, and not need to rely on burning fossil fuels.

Intrigued? Find out more on our website: https://www.materials.ox.ac.uk/article/next-generation-solar-panels

The has announced a major extension to the SOLBAT programme, worth £15.7M to 2030.
Working with Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK and Gelion plc, and supported by the UK Battery Innovation Programme, the project will integrate Gelion's nano-encapsulated sulfur cathode technology into next generation solid-state battery systems. This will be combined with Nissan's advanced battery development capabilities, and Oxford's expertise in lithium alloys and interphases for solid-state batteries.

This coordinated national investment reflects a strategic commitment to advancing the UK's progress with next-generation battery technologies.

Read more on our website: https://www.materials.ox.ac.uk/article/a-new-phase-for-solid-state-batteries.

Imagine photonic chips which are programmable after manufacture.

It might seem like science fiction, but Harvard Hem Toftevaag and colleagues have made considerable strides towards achieving this aim.

Read more in Science Advances: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aec7329

Nonvolatile photonic field-programmable coupler array Nonvolatile phase-change photonics enable ultracompact, zero–static power programmable networks for scalable photonic computing.

📢 We’re hiring: Associate Professor or Professor of Materials

The University of Oxford’s Department of Materials, in partnership with The Queen’s College, is seeking an Associate Professor to join us from September 2026 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

The successful candidate will work at the Department of Materials and also will be appointed to a Tutorial Fellowship at The Queen’s College.

What you’ll do:
🚀 Build an independent research group
🎓 Deliver high-quality teaching to undergraduate and postgraduate students
🏛️ Contribute to a world-leading academic community
🤝 Organise and participate in the admissions process

Please refer to the job description for further details.

📅 Closing date and time: 12 noon on Wednesday 15 April 2026

Interested? Don’t delay, apply today at the link below 👇

https://my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form?p_company=10&p_internal_external=I&p_display_in_irish=N&p_process_type=&p_applicant_no=&p_form_profile_detail=&p_display_apply_ind=Y&p_refresh_search=Y&p_recruitment_id=185221

If you're a member of the University of Oxford, join us for the 'AI for Materials: From Tools to Autonomous Capability' seminar.

Confirmed speakers are:

📣 Dr Sam Cooper (Imperial/Polaron Ltd);
📣Dr Matthew Evans (Cambridge/Datalab Industries Ltd);
📣Dr Omer Omar (Apoello Ltd); and
📣Dr Dominik Lukes (Oxford).

🕛/🗓️ 1-5pm: Thursday, 23 April.

The seminar will bring together researchers interested in how artificial intelligence can support and accelerate Materials research, with a focus on developing practical capability across the Oxford community.

The programme will include:
➡️ short talks from experts working at the intersection of AI and Materials Science;

➡️ opportunities to network and connect with colleagues across MPLS; and

➡️ an open panel discussion.

Click below to launch the online application form (Single Sign On required):
👇
https://forms.microsoft.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkWmR0vDKJNlPp_Inn4cckNpUQkRaSDBJN1FVV0pKNThOSE5SR1JTNk8xTi4u

Intelligence

What a load of old junk!

Consider this - we have space litter speeding around our planet at 20 to 30 times faster than a bullet!

There are over a million dangerous fragments in orbit, not to mention additional debris, and the active satellites. So, what can we do about this littering?

Dr Yige Sun of the Materials Science department champions the case for life-cycle thinking. Read more in her Expert Comment, published on the University of Oxford 's website: 'From frontier to feedback loop - Why space must become circular'.

Expert Comment: From frontier to feedback loop - Why space must become circular | University of Oxford Materials scientist Dr Yige Sun, from the Department of Materials and Linacre College at the University of Oxford, and the Faraday Institution, argues that as space becomes critical infrastructure for the global digital economy, its long-term viability depends on urgently transitioning from a linear...

It's that exciting time of the year again!

The Oxford heat will be held during either 19 or 20 March in our Lecture Theatre (16 Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PH - to be confirmed).

Good luck to everyone who takes part!

| Young Persons' Lecture Competition

The Young Persons' Lecture Competition (YPLC) is open and invites students and early-career professionals to deliver a short lecture on one of the following subjects:

▪️ Materials
▪️ Minerals
▪️ Mining
▪️ Packaging
▪️ Clay technology
▪️ Wood science
▪️ Engineering related

Entries are open for the 2026 YPLC heats, organised by IOM3 Affiliated Local Societies. Winners of the local heats will then compete in the finals.

🗓️ 21 May 2026
📍 The Armourers' Hall in London

YPLC is sponsored by The Henry Royce Institute and supported by the Midland Institute of Mining Engineers.

Submit your abstract and enter the local heat of your choice 👇️
https://iom3.info/42zCQH7