Lithium-ion battery

These are special batteries.

They hold power for us. They help phones work. They also help cars go.

Inside, tiny parts move to store energy. This movement lets the battery work again and again. This is why we call them rechargeable.

Many people worked hard to make them. Three scientists even won a big prize for it. Their work changed how we use tools.

These batteries come in many shapes. Some are small for phones. Others are big for cars.

We must be careful with them. They can get very hot. We must use them safely.

A lithium-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery.

It stores power by moving tiny parts called ions. These ions move between two sides. One side is the anode. The other side is the cathode. This movement lets the battery work many times.

Scientists worked for years to make these batteries safe. M. Stanley Whittingham made the first version in the 1970s. It had safety problems. Later, John Goodenough used a new material to make it better. Akira Yoshino then made a design that worked well.

In 1991, Sony sold the first ones. These three men won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019.

We use these batteries every day. They power phones, laptops, and electric cars.

They can be many shapes and sizes. Some are tiny for small tools. Others are very large for big machines. We must be careful with them. They use liquids that can catch fire. Scientists are now making new types to be even safer.

A lithium-ion battery is a special kind of rechargeable battery.

It stores energy by moving tiny parts called lithium ions. These ions move back and forth between two different sides. One side is called the anode, and the other is the cathode. This movement is called intercalation, which means the ions tuck themselves into the solid parts of the battery. These batteries are very useful because they hold a lot of energy in a small space. They also last a long time before they need to be replaced.

How does this battery work step by step? Inside the battery, there is a liquid called an electrolyte. This liquid helps the lithium ions travel from one side to the other. To keep the battery from breaking, a separator sits between the two electrodes. The electrodes are connected to a circuit by metal pieces called current collectors. When you use the battery, the ions move through the electrolyte to the cathode. When you charge it, the ions move back to the anode. This process can happen over and over again.

Many scientists helped create this technology over several decades. In the 1970s, M. Stanley Whittingham made the first rechargeable lithium-ion battery. He used a material called titanium disulfide for the cathode. However, his design had safety problems and was not sold to the public. In 1980, John Goodenough improved the design by using lithium cobalt oxide. This material was much more stable in the air. Finally, in 1985, Akira Yoshino created a prototype using a carbon anode. This made the battery much safer for everyone to use.

These discoveries changed the world of technology forever. In 1991, a team led by Yoshio Nishi at Sony began selling the first commercial batteries.

Since then, the cost of these batteries has dropped tenfold. Their energy density has also increased three times over. Because of their hard work, Whittingham, Goodenough, and Yoshino won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019. Today, global demand for these batteries is very high.

You can find lithium-ion batteries in many things you know. They power your cellular phones and laptop computers. They are also used to run electric cars, like the Nissan Leaf.

Some batteries are even used for huge power grids or in space. However, we must use them carefully because the liquids inside can catch fire. Scientists are working on new "solid-state" batteries to make them even safer. They are also looking for new ways to recycle them to protect the environment.

A lithium-ion battery, or Li-ion battery, is a rechargeable device that stores energy through a process called reversible intercalation. This process involves lithium ions (Li+) moving into and out of electronically conducting solids. These batteries are vital because they offer high specific energy and energy density. They also provide high energy efficiency and a long cycle life.

Because they can hold much energy in a small space, they have transformed modern life. In the thirty years following their commercial release in 1991, their volumetric energy density tripled. During that same period, their cost dropped by ten times.

To understand how they work, we must look at the internal components. A typical cell consists of a negative electrode, called the anode, and a positive electrode, called the cathode. Between these electrodes sits a separator to prevent a short circuit. The electrodes are connected to a circuit via metal pieces known as current collectors.

To allow ions to move, the battery contains an electrolyte. This is usually a lithium salt, such as lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), dissolved in organic solvents like ethylene carbonate. The LiPF6 is important because it helps protect the aluminum current collector at the cathode. When the battery discharges, lithium ions move from the anode to the cathode through the electrolyte. When the battery is charged, the ions move back to the anode.

Different chemistries allow these batteries to be optimized for different tasks. For example, handheld electronics often use lithium polymer batteries. These use a polymer gel as an electrolyte and typically feature a graphite anode and a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) cathode. This combination provides the high energy density needed for small devices.

Other chemistries, such as lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) or lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), might offer a longer life. Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) is another common type. NMC is widely used to power electric vehicles because it supports high discharge rates. Another high-energy option used in electric cars is lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA).

The history of this technology is a story of many scientific breakthroughs. In 1974, M. Stanley Whittingham developed an early version using a titanium disulfide (TiS2) cathode. This material had a layered structure that could accept lithium ions. However, these early batteries used metallic lithium anodes, which were unstable and prone to catching fire. In 1980, John Goodenough improved the design by using lithium cobalt oxide as the cathode. This material was much more stable in the air and provided a higher voltage.

Another major step occurred in 1985 when Akira Yoshino developed a prototype using a carbonaceous anode. Instead of using dangerous lithium metal, he used petroleum coke, which could safely hold lithium ions. This innovation made the batteries much safer for commercial use. In 1991, a team led by Yoshio Nishi at Sony successfully commercialized the first modern Li-ion battery. For their combined work, Whittingham, Goodenough, and Yoshino were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. This recognition highlighted how their research changed the world.

Today, the scale of Li-ion production is massive. In 2010, global production capacity was 20 gigawatt-hours (GWh). By 2020, that capacity had grown to 767 GWh, with China producing 75% of that amount. By late 2024, global demand had passed certain annual milestones, while production capacity was more than double that demand. These batteries power everything from cellular phones and laptops to massive grid-scale energy storage systems. They are also essential for electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf.

Despite their benefits, there are challenges regarding safety and the environment. Li-ion batteries contain flammable electrolytes, which can pose a fire or explosion hazard. To solve this, researchers are developing solid-state batteries that eliminate flammable liquids. There are also environmental concerns regarding mining. Lithium mining is water-intensive, often occurring in arid regions. Additionally, some minerals like cobalt can be classified as conflict minerals. Researchers are now looking for alternatives, such as sodium-ion or iron-air batteries, to improve mineral efficiency and sustainability.