Dr
Nik
Reeves-McLaren
(he/him)

BSc Hons, MEd, PhD, SFHEA, MRSC

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Senior Lecturer in Energy Materials

Faculty Director of Postgraduate Research

PGT Tutor

Raman Facility Director

Dr Nik Reeves-McLaren
Profile picture of Dr Nik Reeves-McLaren
n.reeves@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6013
Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr Nik Reeves-McLaren
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street

Sheffield

S1 3JD

Profile

I'm a Senior Lecturer in Energy Materials in the School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering, where I also serve as Faculty Postgraduate Research Lead and Head of the Engineering Doctoral School. My route into materials science started with a BSc in Chemistry with New Materials Technology at Aberdeen, followed by a PhD here at Sheffield on cathode and anode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

Most of my research sits at the intersection of crystallography and battery chemistry. I use X-ray and neutron diffraction, much of it collected operando at Diamond Light Source and ISIS, to work out how the atomic structure of electrode materials changes as a battery charges, discharges and ages. Sodium-ion cathodes are the current focus, alongside high-voltage lithium spinels and, increasingly, questions about the trustworthiness of structural data itself as AI tools become part of how that data gets generated and interpreted.

I lead the Raman Small Research Facility and co-lead the Sheffield Tomography Centre, having previously managed the department's X-ray diffraction facility for fifteen years. I wrote Inside Energy Storage Materials (AIP Publishing, 2022) and I'm a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Qualifications

I hold a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry with New Materials Technology from the University of Aberdeen (1999) and a PhD from the University of Sheffield, on novel cathode and anode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (2003). I also have an MEd in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (2019).

Research interests

I research the materials inside batteries, particularly for sodium-ion batteries, a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to the lithium-ion batteries in most phones and electric vehicles. Using X-ray and neutron beams at national facilities, I watch how the atomic structure of these materials rearranges as a battery charges and discharges, and how that rearrangement eventually causes it to wear out. I'm also increasingly interested in a different kind of question: as artificial intelligence tools become part of how scientific data is generated and checked, how do we know the results are actually reliable? I build tools to test that.

Key research interests:

  • Sodium-ion battery cathode materials, particularly P2/P3-type layered transition metal oxides
  • Crystallography and Rietveld refinement of battery electrode materials
  • Operando and in situ characterisation: synchrotron X-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, XANES, muon spectroscopy
  • High-voltage lithium-ion spinel oxides and their use in structural, load-bearing batteries
  • Data integrity and structural credibility in AI-driven materials discovery
  • Sustainable, lower-temperature synthesis routes for battery materials
  • Computational tool development for materials characterisation and data validation
Publications

Books

Journal articles

Book chapters

Conference proceedings

  • Wilson G, Zilinskaite S, Unka S, Boston R & Reeves-McLaren N (2020) 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. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Reeves-McLaren N, Hong M, Alqurashi H, Xue L, Sharp J, Rennie AJ & Boston R (2018) The Spinel LiCoMnO4: 5V cathode and conversion anode. Energy Procedia, Vol. 151 (pp 158-162). Sheffield, UK, 11 September 2018 - 11 September 2018. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Reeves-McLaren N (2016) 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. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kinoshita H, Brewer M, Talbot-Eeckelaers CE, Reeves N, Copping R, Sharrad CA & May I (2008) High temperature behaviour of polyoxometalates containing lanthanides. SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT XXXI, Vol. 1107 (pp 347-353) RIS download Bibtex download

Reports

  • Wu H, Habgood M, Parker JE, Reeves-McLaren N, Cockcroft JK, Vickers M, West AR & Jones AG (2013) Crystal structure determination of a complex pharmaceutical compound using synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Teaching interests

I'm particularly interested in making advanced characterisation methods, and the computational tools used to interpret them, accessible to students without a strong existing background in programming or crystallography. I also care about teaching structural credibility and the responsible use of AI tools directly, rather than leaving students to work out good practice for themselves.

Teaching activities

I supervise PhD, MSc and final-year undergraduate research students working across battery materials, crystallography, data integrity and materials characterisation, and contribute to doctoral training through my role as Head of the Engineering Doctoral School. Within the School, I teach:

  • CMB4142/609: Materials Processing and Characterisation
  • CMB4104 - Energy Storage Technologies
  • CMB312 - Advanced Functional Materials
  • CMB222/223 - Perspectives in Materials Research/ Materials Development
Professional activities and memberships
  • Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority