Welcome to the podcast of the Life Scientific.

BBC Sounds, Music Radio Podcasts.

Hello.

When I was a boy, all batteries were single use,

and solar power was an emerging and expensive technology.

The point is I'm not that old.

Now, thanks to rechargeable batteries, we have mobile phones, laptops, electronic toys, cordless power

tools and solar power is increasingly reducing our reliance on carbon-based fossil fuels.

Studying the chemistry of materials may sound arcane,

but without a deep understanding of exactly what happens to the materials that are used,

we are unlikely to see the technological progress we need.

My guest today makes computer models of materials that have extraordinary properties.

He's a chemist who doesn't wear a lab coat and thank to the work he and others are doing

rechargeable batteries are a lot better than they used to be and the cost of making

solar cells could drop dramatically.

Professor Seyphyl Islam and welcome to the life scientific. making solar cells could drop dramatically.

Professor Seyphyl Islam, welcome to the life scientific.

Thank you, Jim, thank you for having me.

A lot of people, you know, they're very wowed by smart new technologies, you know, your smartphone, your laptop, whatever, but it's very easy to

overlook these remarkable materials that go into actually making them.

I agree.

If you think about one of the revolutionary technologies.

...