Solid energy: A report on the 18th international symposium on the reactivity of solids

The 18th International Symposium on the Reactivity of Solids (June 9–13, 2014 in Saint-Petersburg, Russia) brought together 137 researches from 18 countries, from crystallographers to electrochemists, to discuss the new materials design, advanced methods of preparation and characterization, mechanisms of reactions involving solids, structure–property relations, and new horizons of the materials application. What emerged from the meeting was an understanding that even if up-to-date solid state chemistry cannot be limited to organic, inorganic, or physical one, different groups of researches can understand each other and find a way for collaboration. More than half of the talks were devoted to energy production and storage problems, where the researcher should take into account not only just the chemistry of solid material, but also its crystalline structure, surface morphology, and even the bath liquid phase and interface properties. It means that only the interdisciplinary partnership can lead to outstanding results.