Solid State Chemistry Group

The Solid State Chemistry Group was formed in 1998 from a merger of the Polar Solids Group and the Applied Solid State Chemistry Group. The merger took place due to the extensive overlap between the research interests of the group members, and has been seen by members as a considerable success. The group covers a wide range of interests in the area of solid state chemistry, including magnetism, catalysis, conducting solids, energy technologies, solid state synthesis and structural chemistry. Group members employ a wide range of experimental and computational techniques in their research, including diffraction techniques, X-ray and electron spectroscopies, microscopy, magnetic studies, electrochemistry, catalytic studies, atomistic simulation, molecular dynamics, and ab initio methods.

Presently the group has over 200 members. It supports the international materials chemistry conference (MC series), as well as organising two group conferences each year. The Group conferences are held at Easter (Mansfield College, Oxford) and Christmas (the location is changed each year). The Easter meeting is a themed meeting, with a topical theme of interest to group members being chosen each year. The Christmas meeting is a general conference encompassing the full interests of the group. Both conferences are well attended and the group encourages student members to present talks and posters, and in order to do so, student registration costs are subsidised.