A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry

Lithium-ion batteries have aided the portable electronics revolution for nearly three decades. They are now enabling vehicle electrification and beginning to enter the utility industry. The emergence and dominance of lithium-ion batteries are due to their higher energy density compared to other rechargeable battery systems, enabled by the design and development of high-energy density electrode materials. Basic science research, involving solid-state chemistry and physics, has been at the center of this endeavor, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. With the award of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to the development of lithium-ion batteries, it is enlightening to look back at the evolution of the cathode…

• UD
  U.S. Department of Energy

  Awards: DE-SC0005397, F-1254
• WF
  Welch Foundation

  Awards: F-1254, DE-SC0005397
• BE
  Basic Energy Sciences

  Award: DE-SC0005397