Battery week 2026: The EV cathode race & battery-recycling | The chemical breakdown podcast

Battery week 2026: The EV cathode race & battery-recycling | The chemical breakdown podcast

From The chemical breakdown & Chemistry in its element by Chemistry World

May 13, 2026 · 25 min

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

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