About this episode

The episode discusses the competition among cathode materials for electric vehicles and a new photocatalyst for recycling plastics.

This week, we are celebrating Chemistry World's Battery Week with a special battery-themed episode! We discuss the race between cathode materials for electric vehicles and a new photocatalyst capable of turning plastic waste into hydrogen and value-added chemicals, with Neil Withers and Patrick Walter. A race between competing battery cathode materials is heating up, the winner of which will shape the future of electric vehicles. But which will come out on top? And, we discuss a new photocatalyst that could change the way we recycle plastics and battery acid, demonstrating how waste streams could be transformed into resources. We explore what this could mean for building a truly circular economy. To register for more Battery Week activities, check out: https://www.chemistryworld.com/collections/energy-storage-and-batteries

People in this episode

Guests: Neil Withers, Patrick Walter

Topics covered

• electric vehicles
• battery materials
• photocatalysts
• plastic recycling
• circular economy

Keywords

• battery cathodes
• electric vehicles
• photocatalyst
• plastic waste
• hydrogen production
• circular economy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Chemistry World

More episodes of Chemistry in its element

• An update on the Strait of Hormuz & potential explosives at an Antarctic base | The chemical breakdown podcast · July 8, 2026 · 28 min
• A warning for US science & wool's chemical versatility | The chemical breakdown podcast · June 24, 2026 · 30 min
• Click chemistry marks 25 years & covalent bonding in the actinides | The chemical breakdown podcast · June 10, 2026 · 28 min
• Quantum computing & a mysterious contaminant in microplastics research | The chemical breakdown podcast · May 28, 2026 · 34 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Chemistry in its element podcast page.