Dr Nik Reeves-McLaren
BSc (Hons) PhD
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Senior Lecturer in Energy Materials
Interim Head of the Engineering Graduate School
Laser Safety Officer
Raman Small Research Facility Lead
+44 114 222 6013
Full contact details
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
- Profile
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I obtained my BSc (Hons) in Chemistry with New Materials Technology from The University of Aberdeen in 1999, before moving to The University of Sheffield where I undertook a PhD on "Novel Cathode and Anode Materials for Rechargeable Lithium-ion Batteries”.
I was appointed as XRD Research Facility Manager in November 2003, and promoted to Research and Teaching Fellow in 2014 and then to Senior Lecturer in 2019. I became interim Head of the Engineering Graduate School in September 2024.
I am the Principal Investigators of the Advanced Characterisation of Energy Materials (AChem) research group in the department, as well as part of the broader Functional Materials & Devices research cluster. My primer 'Inside Energy Storage Materials' was published by AIP in 2022.
- Research interests
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My research programme focusses on energy storage materials, with work on electrode and solid electrolyte materials for lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery applications. I am lead supervisor for four PhD researchers, and have a particular interest in using X-ray techniques (diffraction and tomography), neutron diffraction and muon and Raman spectroscopies to understand the changes that occur at the atomic and microscopic levels during the charging and discharging of these key active materials during battery use.
The primary and secondary battery markets are hugely important both to consumers and to the economy, with lithium-ion batteries taking a ~37% share of a $74billion industry. Despite their successes and widespread application, there are still genuine concerns over the use of lithium-ion batteries with regards both to performance and safety, with reports that they can catch fire under certain circumstances. The hazards have several causes, but are due in part to the use of flammable organic electrolytes, the formation of solid-electrolyte interfaces and dendritic growth from electrodes causing short circuits. Smaller ‘coin cell’ designs bring risks through ingestion, particularly by children, which can cause severe, rapid, sometimes fatal, injuries to the oesophagus and stomach. Electrode materials also often contain high levels of toxic, environmentally hazardous materials, e.g. cobalt.
Key research interests:
- Developing new positive electrode materials for Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion Battery Applications
- In situ and operando characterisation of energy storage materials
- Improving the cost and safety of battery manufacture
- Developing Raman spectroscopic approaches for battery electrode manufacture quality control
- Publications
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Books
- Inside Energy Storage Materials. AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York.
Journal articles
- A comparative study of the effect of synthesis method on the formation of P2- and P3-Na0.67Mn0.9Mg0.1O2 cathodes. Materials Research Express, 10(7). View this article in WRRO
- Phase distribution, composition, and disorder in Y2(Hf,Sn)2O7 ceramics: insights from solid-state NMR spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 124(31), 17073-17084.
- A high‐performance primary nanosheet heterojunction cathode composed of Na0.44MnO2 tunnels and layered Na2Mn3O7 for Na‐ion batteries. ChemSusChem, 13(7), 1793-1799. View this article in WRRO
- Co2TiO4/reduced graphene oxide nanohybrids for electrochemical sensing applications. Nanomaterials, 9(11). View this article in WRRO
- Evaluating lithium diffusion mechanisms in the complex spinel Li2NiGe3O8. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 21(41), 23111-23118. View this article in WRRO
- High temperature and ion implantation-induced phase transformations in novel reduced activation Si-Fe-V-Cr (-Mo) high entropy alloys. Frontiers in Materials, 6. View this article in WRRO
- Synthesis, structure and dielectric properties of a new family of phases, ABC3O11 : A = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd; B = Zr, Hf; C = Ta, Nb. Journal of the Australian Ceramic Society, 55(2), 305-314. View this article in WRRO
- Low‐temperature crystallization of La0.15Sr0.775TiO3 using ionic liquids. Journal of the American Ceramic Society. View this article in WRRO
- Biotemplating: a sustainable synthetic methodology for Na-ion battery materials. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 6(13), 5346-5355. View this article in WRRO
- Mechanism of Hydrogen-Bonded Complex Formation between Ibuprofen and Nanocrystalline Hydroxyapatite. Langmuir, 33(12), 2965-2976. View this article in WRRO
- Insights into the Influence of Solvent Polarity on the Crystallization of Poly(ethylene oxide) Spin-Coated Thin Films via in Situ Grazing Incidence Wide-Angle X-ray Scattering. Macromolecules, 49(12), 4579-4586. View this article in WRRO
- Interface influence on the properties of Co 90 Fe 10 films on soft magnetic underlayers – Magnetostrictive and Mössbauer spectrometry studies. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 401, 943-948. View this article in WRRO
- Spinel–rock salt transformation in LiCoMnO4−δ. Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 472(2185). View this article in WRRO
- Synthesis and characterisation of Li 11 RE 18 M 4 O 39−δ : RE = Nd or Sm; M = Al, Co or Fe. Dalton Trans., 45(1), 315-323. View this article in WRRO
- Synthesis, structure and electrical properties of N-doped Li3VO4. Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 4, 1408-1413. View this article in WRRO
- Magnetic and Structural Characterization of NiFe/Fe30Co70 Bilayers. IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, 50(11), 1-4. View this article in WRRO
- Influence of soft magnetic underlayers on the magnetic properties of Co
90 Fe10 films. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 357, 87-92.
- Selective behaviour of dilute Fe3 + ions in silicate glasses: An Fe K-edge EXAFS and XANES study. Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, 387, 47-56.
- Effect of the Ni
81 Fe19 thickness on the magnetic properties of Ni81 Fe19 /Fe50 Co50 bilayers. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 331, 67-71.
- Crystal structure determination by combined synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and crystal structure prediction: 1:1 l-ephedrine d-tartrate. CrystEngComm, 15(10), 1853-1859.
- Synthesis and characterization of Li11Nd18Fe4O(39-δ).. Inorg Chem, 51(15), 8073-8082.
- Lithium-Ion Conduction Pathways in Complex Lithium Spine Is Li2MGe3O8 (M = Ni or Zn). CHEM MATER, 23(15), 3556-3563.
- Synthesis, structure and electrical properties of Cu3.21Ti1.16Nb2.63O12 and the CuO x -TiO2-Nb2O5 pseudoternary phase diagram. Journal of Solid State Chemistry.
- Crystal Structure and Microwave Dielectric Properties of LaLuO3 Ceramics. J AM CERAM SOC, 93(10), 2960-2963.
- Polymorphism, Phase Transitions, and Thermal Stability of L-Pyroglutamic Acid. CRYST GROWTH DES, 10(7), 3141-3148.
- Phase Transformations of Glutamic Acid and Its Decomposition Products. CRYST GROWTH DES, 10(2), 988-994.
- Synthesis, structural characterization and Li+ ion conductivity of a new vanado-molybdate phase, LiMg3VMo2O12. Journal of Solid State Chemistry.
- Oxygen nonstoichiometry and phase transitions in LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4-delta. J ELECTROCHEM SOC, 155(4), A282-A291.
- Variable oxygen stoichiometry in layered rock salt cathodes, Li-x(Mn,Ni)O-2, depending on synthesis conditions. JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES, 174(2), 1078-1081.
- Order-disorder transition in the complex lithium spinel Li2CoTi3O8. J SOLID STATE CHEM, 180(6), 1894-1901.
- Oxygen stoichiometry-structure-property correlations in Li-2/3[Mn2/3Ni1/3]O2-delta with O-3 structure. J ELECTROCHEM SOC, 154(8), A760-A769.
- Co-doped Mn3O4: a possible anode material for lithium batteries. J POWER SOURCES, 141(1), 156-158.
- Oxygen content and electrochemical activity of LiCoMnO4-delta. J MATER CHEM, 15(41), 4435-4440.
- Thick lamellar textures and high ambient conductivity in de-blended mixtures of low-dimensional systems of two polymers and Li salts. ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA, 48(14-16), 1939-1951.
- Reversible spinel to rock salt transition in LiCoMnO delta by oxygen (de) intercalation. J MATER CHEM, 11(2), 249-250.
- In situ or Ex situ Synthesis for Electrochemical Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide—An Evaluation of Co2SnO4/RGO Nanohybrids. Micromachines, 14(5), 1059-1059.
- Xanthan gum as a water-based binder for P3-Na2/3Ni1/3Mn2/3O2. Frontiers in Energy Research, 10.
Chapters
- X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy, Inside Energy Storage Materials AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York
- Non-Ambient Experiments for Energy Storage Materials, Inside Energy Storage Materials AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York
- Introduction to the Materials Science of Rechargeable Batteries, Inside Energy Storage Materials AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York
- Instrument Design, Inside Energy Storage Materials AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York
- Emergent Techniques and Future Directions, Inside Energy Storage Materials AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York
- Electrochemistry in the Wild, Inside Energy Storage Materials AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York
- Diffraction Basics, Inside Energy Storage Materials AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York
- Operando and In Situ Electrochemical Cell Designs, Inside Energy Storage Materials AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York
Conference proceedings papers
- Establishing operando diffraction capability through the study of Li-ion (de) intercalation in LiFePO4. Energy Reports, Vol. 6(Supplement 5) (pp 174-179). Southampton, UK, 9 July 2019 - 10 July 2019. View this article in WRRO
- The Spinel LiCoMnO4: 5V Cathode and Conversion Anode. Energy Procedia, Vol. 151 (pp 158-162), 11 September 2018 - 12 September 2018. View this article in WRRO
- Application of virtual learning environments to support research and teaching in the 21st century university. 6th International Symposium on Engineering Education (pp 101-108). Manchester, 14 July 2016 - 15 July 2016.
- High temperature behaviour of polyoxometalates containing lanthanides. SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT XXXI, Vol. 1107 (pp 347-353)
Reports
- Crystal structure determination of a complex pharmaceutical compound using
synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction
- Inside Energy Storage Materials. AIP Publishing LLCMelville, New York.
- Teaching activities
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- MAT6665 - Materials Processing and Characterisation
- MAT61021 - Energy Generation and Storage
- MAT3210 - Electroceramics
- MAT655 - Transferable Skills for Engineers and Scientists
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority