Dr Daniel Reed BSc, MRes, PhD, MRSC

Dr Daniel Reed

School of Metallurgy and Materials
Lecturer in Metallurgy and Materials

Contact details

Address
School of Metallurgy & Materials
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Daniel Reed is a lecturer in materials chemistry in the School of Metallurgy and Materials, and Director of the EPS Foundation Year.

His research interests lie in the area of energy storage materials, focused on increasing the safety and anode capacity of Li- and Na-ion batteries. He works on the design, synthesis and characterisation of new materials, phases and composites.

Daniel has expertise in variable temperature, pressure and position in situ measurement techniques using x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Materials Science, University of Birmingham, 2010
  • MRes in the Science and Engineering of Materials, University of Birmingham, 2006
  • BSc in Chemistry with Industrial Experience, Bath University, 2004

Biography

Daniel Reed graduated with a BSc in Chemistry from Bath University in 2004, where he spent time working for ONDEO Nalco Energy Services on the Fawley Oil Refinery, Southampton. There, he investigated additives to control the growth of wax crystals in lubrication oil and prevent the oxidation of jet fuels. In 2004, he joined British Energy Generation’s Graphite and Core Monitoring team where he worked on in service core monitoring techniques.

Daniel went on to study for an MRes (2006), under the supervision of Professor Rex Harris and Dr Issac Chang, followed by a PhD (2010), under the supervision of Professor David Book, at the University of Birmingham. This postgraduate research on solid-state hydrogen storage materials focused on the development of new complex hydrides and the techniques required to understand the hydrogen evolution reactions. It formed part of the national Supergen initiative into hydrogen storage technologies.

After his PhD, Daniel became a research associate at the University of Birmingham, working in the UK-SHEC consortium and subsequently H2FC on hydrogen storage materials. Daniel has also been involved in the Cleaning Land for Wealth (CL4W) project on recycling metals from contaminated land. Daniel Reed is a co-investigator in the EU Marie-Curie ITN “Ecostore” looking at the development and characterisation of novel hydrides for battery and hydrogen storage.  

In 2017, Dr Daniel Reed was appointed lecturer in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham.

Research

Daniel’s research activities are centred on the characterisation and development of energy storage materials, in particular anodes of Li- and Na-ion batteries.

Batteries

Daniel is developing novel anodic materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries. His research is focused on materials discovery and understanding the reaction mechanisms. Materials that exhibit the following properties are targeted:

  • High hydrogen content
  • Reversible conversion with both Li and Na electrolytes
  • Hydrogen conductivity
  • Electrical conductivity in the hydrided and dehydrided state
  • Chemical stability with the electrolyte

Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful and versatile technique for the characterisation of energy storage materials. It is sensitive to both crystalline and amorphous materials, and able to follow a reaction across a change of state, from solid to liquid or liquid to gas (and vice versa).
Daniel works on developing Raman spectroscopic measurement and analysis techniques, and has combined a Raman microscope with in situ cells capable of performing variable temperature (-180°C to 1500°C), variable pressure (vacuum-100bar), calorimetric and electrochemical measurements.