Peter Bruce facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Bruce
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Peter George Bruce
2 October 1956 |
| Alma mater | University of Aberdeen (BSc, PhD) |
| Known for | Lithium–air battery |
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| Thesis | Lithium ion conducting solid electrolytes (1981) |
Sir Peter George Bruce is a famous British chemist. He is a professor at the University of Oxford, where he studies different materials. From 2018 to 2023, he was a leader at the Royal Society, a very old and important science group. He also helped start the Faraday Institution, where he is a top scientist.
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Early Life and Education
Peter Bruce grew up in Aberdeen, Scotland. He went to Aberdeen Grammar School. Later, he studied at the University of Aberdeen. He earned two degrees there, a Bachelor of Science and a PhD. For his PhD, he researched special materials called "lithium ion conducting solid electrolytes." This work was about how lithium moves through certain solids.
Research and Discoveries
Professor Bruce is very interested in materials chemistry and electrochemistry. These fields help us understand how materials work and how they can store energy. His main focus is on materials used in batteries, especially those for lithium and sodium batteries.
He studies how tiny charged particles, called ions, move through solid materials. He also creates new materials with special features. His goal is to find better ways to store energy. His work helps us understand how batteries work and how to make them better.
Professor Bruce has written over 390 scientific papers. Since 2015, he has been named a "Highly Cited Researcher." This means his work is often used and referenced by other scientists.
Solid-State Batteries
Imagine a battery that is safer and can store more power. That's what solid-state batteries promise! Today's lithium-ion batteries use a liquid inside that can sometimes catch fire. Professor Bruce's team wants to replace this liquid with a solid material. This change would make batteries safer. It would also allow them to use a special metal called alkali metal, which could store much more energy.
His research looks at how these solid batteries work. He also studies problems like how tiny holes or spikes can form, which can make the battery stop working. Until 2023, he led a big project called SOLBAT. This project aimed to solve problems that stop solid-state batteries from being used in electric cars. Now, he leads the part of the project that focuses on the battery's negative side, called the anode.
Intercalation Compounds
Think of a battery as having tiny spaces where lithium can hide. This process is called intercalation. It's how rechargeable lithium batteries work. Professor Bruce tries to create new materials that can store lithium in unusual ways. He is especially interested in materials for the positive side of lithium and sodium batteries, called cathode materials.
Recently, his work has explored materials that can store extra charge. They do this by involving oxygen in a special process. This process can even create tiny bits of oxygen gas inside the solid material. Professor Bruce also leads a part of the Faraday Institution's CATMAT project, which focuses on these cathode materials.
Lithium-Air Batteries
Professor Peter G. Bruce was one of the first scientists to work on the Lithium-air battery. Regular lithium-ion batteries changed how we use portable electronics. They are also key for electric cars and for storing energy from renewable sources like solar and wind. But even these batteries might not be powerful enough for future needs.
The lithium-air battery could change energy storage completely. It has the potential to store more energy than any other battery we know. Professor Bruce's research helps us understand how these batteries work at a basic level. His recent work has looked at special chemicals that help the battery's reactions happen faster.
Awards and Recognition
Sir Peter Bruce has received many awards and honors both in the UK and around the world. He is a member of several important scientific groups. These include the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Society, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He is also a member of the German National Academy of Sciences.
In 2022, he was made a knight by the King. This honor was given for his important work in science and new discoveries.
Some of his key awards include:
- 1999 Royal Society of Chemistry Award in Materials
- 2003 Royal Society of Chemistry Beilby Medal and Prize
- 2004 Royal Society of Edinburgh Gunning Victoria Jubilee Prize Lectureship
- 2008 Electrochemical Society (USA) Battery Division Award
- 2009 Royal Society of Chemistry Tilden Lectureship
- 2011 Arfvedson Schlenk Award
- 2012 Akzo Nobel UK Science Award (he was the first to receive it)
- 2012 Galileo Galilei Award
- 2016 Liversidge Award
- 2017 Royal Society Hughes Medal
- 2022 Knighthood for services to science and innovation
- 2022 Royal Society of Chemistry Longstaff Prize
- 2024 Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
- 2024 Elected Member of The Leopoldina, the German National Academy of Sciences
