Professor Peter Raymond Slater BSc, PhD

Professor Peter Raymond Slater

School of Chemistry
Professor of Materials Chemistry
Co-Director of the Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0) 121 414 8906
Email
p.r.slater@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
School of Chemistry
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Peter R. Slater is Professor in Materials Chemistry at the University of Birmingham and Co-Director of the Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage. He has more than 30 years research experience in the area of solid state/materials chemistry, ranging from battery materials to solid oxide fuel cells. In these areas he has published more than 250 papers in scientific journals, and has written more than 20 review articles. His present research is focusing mainly on the development of ionic and mixed conductors for energy storage and conversion applications (e.g. Li/Na ion batteries and solid oxide fuel cells), as well as strategies for recycling such materials. 

He is also active in promoting research into new energy technologies in schools, and to general non-scientific audiences.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Chemistry, University of Birmingham, 1990
  • BSc in Chemistry, University of Birmingham, 1987

Teaching

Teaching Programmes

  • MSci/BSc Chemistry single honours and major/minor programmes

Postgraduate supervision

Peter Slater’s research is in the area of materials chemistry, with the main focus being on the development of new materials for energy applications. Recent research has included the investigation of novel electrolytes for use in solid oxide fuel cells and Li/Na ion batteries. His research group also has interests in the synthesis and characterisation of mixed metal oxide fluorides prepared by low-temperature routes for a range of applications. Experimental techniques employed include X-ray and neutron diffraction, conductivity measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, Raman and NMR spectroscopy.

Professor Slater is interested in supervising doctoral research in the following areas:

Synthesis and characterisation of new materials for Li/Na ion batteries
Synthesis and characterisation of new materials for use as electrolytes/electrodes in solid oxide fuel cells
Synthesis and characterisation of novel anion/cation excess systems as new ionic conductors/magnetics materials
General Solid State Chemistry: synthesis and characterisation of inorganic solids

Other activities

  • Faraday Industrial Fellow (2021-2023).
  • Participation in a wide range of Outreach activities, including Big Bang Fair 2022, and events and the Thinktank Museum and Royal Institution.
  • Member of the EPSRC College of Referees.
  • Chair if the STFC ISIS Crystallography user group (2012-2014).
  • Member of the STFC ISIS Crystallography user group (2012-2014).
  • Member of the STFC ISIS facility Diffraction panel (2007-2011).
  • Invited International Expert for the UK Government organized "Low Carbon Cars: Exploring the Challenge of bringing Electric Vehicles to Market International Experts' Meeting", BERR, Londonm 28-28 Oct 2008.
  • Secretary of the RSC Solid State Chemistry Group 2004-2006.

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Samanta, S, Liu, B, Xie, D, Cornelio, J, Lima da Silva, W, Ovhal, MM, Zorin, A, Slater, PR & Kendrick, E 2026, 'A Closed-Loop Direct Recycling Process for Prussian White From Scrap and End-of-Life Sodium-Ion Batteries', Advanced Energy Materials. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.71225

Sweeney, L, Sargent, AT, Dai, Y, Zhou, S, Chen, J, Iacoviello, F, Jervis, R, Allan, PK, Slater, PR, Monroe, C, Anderson, PA, Shearing, PR & Du, W 2026, 'Advanced Characterization and Rejuvenation of End‐Of‐Life Lithium‐Ion Anodes: Toward the Development of a Green Upcycling Route', Small. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512626

Williams, E, Burnett, D, Lima da Silva, W, Swallow, JEN, Parmenter, R, Weatherup, RS, Slater, P & Kendrick, E 2026, 'Improved cycle life and Li-ion transport parameters at low temperature in doped Ni-rich NMC cathodes', Journal of Materials Chemistry A, vol. 14, no. 34, pp. 22411-22428. https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ta01388k

Xie, D, Song, T, Slater, PR, Simmons, MJH & Kendrick, E 2026, 'One-step surface modification of O3-layered oxide for sodium-ion batteries with improved cycling performance', Journal of Power Sources, vol. 681, 240294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2026.240294

Miah, M, Song, T, Annis, JW, Jarvis, A, Driscoll, EH, Driscoll, LL, Cornelio, J, Attidekou, PS, Kendrick, E, Allan, PK, Anderson, PA & Slater, PR 2026, 'Towards a direct recycling approach for complex Li/Na ion cathode mixtures: a selective leaching approach to separate components', Dalton Transactions. https://doi.org/10.1039/d6dt00556j

Chen, L, Kishore, B, Liu, B, Song, T, Lakhdar, Y, Omoregbe, O, Britton, M, Slater, P & Kendrick, E 2025, 'A “Cool” Route to Battery Electrode Material Recovery', Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 15, no. 46, 2405924. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202405924

Stephens, I, Slater, P & Kendrick, E 2025, 'A perspective on cell bill of materials using BatPaC', Journal of Power Sources, vol. 631, 236170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.236170

Williams, E, Chen, Y, Burnett, D, Slater, P & Kendrick, E 2025, 'Balancing kinetics and stoichiometry in Li-ion full cells with co-doped NMC9½½', Journal of Power Sources, vol. 659, 238415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.238415

Green, A, Annis, J, Gardner, D, Spiller, A, Allan, P & Slater, P 2025, 'Enhancement in the performance of Nb14W3O44 high power anodes through P doping in the tetrahedral sites', Dalton Transactions, vol. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5DT02060C

Driscoll, L, Kallitsis, E, Marco, JF, Burnett, D, Pham, S, Sommerville, R, Cooper, L, Edge, J, Berry, F, Slater, P & Kendrick, E 2025, 'Grave to Cradle: A Direct Recycling Approach for Over-Discharged LiFePO4 Electric Vehicle Cells', Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/aesr.202500174

Williams, E, Burnett, D, Slater, P & Kendrick, E 2025, 'Investigation of Firing Conditions and Boron Fluxes for the Optimized Synthesis of LiNi0.9Mn0.05Co0.05O2 for High Energy Density Li-Ion Batteries', ChemElectroChem. https://doi.org/10.1002/celc.202400677

Stephens, I, Parsons, A, Burnett, D, Slater, P & Kendrick, E 2025, 'Micro-doping of Lithium Ion Battery Cathode Materials: A Performance and Sustainability Case Study of Lithium Nickel Oxide', Global Challenges. https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.202500345

Hemingway, JM, Yang, X, Waddell, PG, Cornelio, J, Lowe, ME, Dawson, JA, Slater, PR, Armstrong, RJ & Lu, E 2025, 'Non-aqueous separation of lithium and sodium perchlorates by selective coordination with a hexadentate semi-flexible amine ligand', Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5qi01799h

Letter

Attidekou, PS, Milojevic, Z, Sweeney, L, Muhammad, M, Ahmeid, M, Lambert, S, Slater, PR & Anderson, PA 2026, 'Rapid prediction of electrolyte-based cell failure in retired Li-ion Electric Vehicle pouch cells', Journal of Physics: Energy, vol. 8, no. 1, 01LT01. https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7655/ae4829

Working paper

Jarvis, A, Madge, R, Stilwell, L, Allan, P, Anderson, P & Slater, P 2025 'Hydrothermal PVDF Binder Mitigation to allow Direct recycling of 2nd generation (NMC532) EoL EV cathode material' ChemRxiv. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv-2025-xt76v

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Peter is an expert in materials chemistry and has worked in a range of areas. His current focus is on Lithium/Sodium ion batteries and fuel cells. His current research projects include the design and characterisation of new materials, and the investigation of strategies for the recycling of battery materials.

Policy experience

Peter has shared his expertise in a range of policy settings, including:

  • Chair of the STFC  IU Crystallography user group (2016-present)
  • Expert speaker on battery materials for the International Energy Agency workshop “Blue Sky Research for Energy Technology” (2017)
  • Invited International Expert for the UK Government organised “Low Carbon Cars: Exploring the Challenge of bringing Electric Vehicles to Market International Experts’ Meeting”, BERR (replaced by BIS), London, 27-28 October 2008. The recommendations from this meeting fed into the subsequent G8 summit meeting.