9 October 2019
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 to
John B. Goodenough The University of Texas at Austin, USA
M. Stanley Whittingham Binghamton University, State University of New York, USA
Akira Yoshino Asahi Kasei Corporation, Tokyo, Japan Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
“for the development of lithium-ion batteries”
They created a rechargeable world
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 rewards the development of the lithium-ion battery. This lightweight, rechargeable and powerful battery is now used in everything from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles. It can also store significant amounts of energy from solar and wind power, making possible a fossil fuel-free society.
Lithium-ion batteries are used globally to power the portable electronics that we use to communicate, work, study, listen to music and search for knowledge. Lithiumion batteries have also enabled the development of long-range electric cars and the storage of energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind power.
The foundation of the lithium-ion battery was laid during the oil crisis in the 1970s. Stanley Whittingham worked on developing methods that could lead to fossil fuel-free energy technologies. He started to research superconductors and discovered an extremely energy-rich material, which he used to create an innovative cathode in a lithium battery. This was made from titanium disulphide which, at a molecular level, has spaces that can house – intercalate – lithium ions.
The battery’s anode was partially made from metallic lithium, which has a strong drive to release electrons. This resulted in a battery that literally had great potential, just over two volts. However, metallic lithium is reactive and the battery was too explosive to be viable.
John Goodenough predicted that the cathode would have even greater potential if it was made using a metal oxide instead of a metal sulphide. After a systematic search, in 1980 he demonstrated that cobalt oxide with intercalated lithium ions can produce as much as four volts. This was an important breakthrough and would lead to much more powerful batteries.
With Goodenough’s cathode as a basis, Akira Yoshino created the first commercially viable lithium-ion battery in 1985. Rather than using reactive lithium in the anode, he used petroleum coke, a carbon material that, like the cathode’s cobalt oxide, can intercalate lithium ions.
The result was a lightweight, hardwearing battery that could be charged hundreds of times before its performance deteriorated. The advantage of lithium-ion batteries is that they are not based upon chemical reactions that break down the electrodes, but upon lithium ions flowing back and forth between the anode and cathode.
Lithium-ion batteries have revolutionised our lives since they first entered the market in 1991. They have laid the foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel-free society, and are of the greatest benefit to humankind.
Consumers are clamoring for next generation electric vehicles and smart devices but limited battery life has continued to hamper growth.
To help solve the problem, Global Graphene Group (G³) and its subsidiary, Angstron Energy (AEC) have developed GCA-II-N. The new graphene/silicon composite anode material has been designed to give lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries the capacity for higher energy storage while reducing size and weight. In November 2018 R&D Magazine acknowledged the achievement by presenting G³ and AEC with the R&D 100 Award.
“Smartphone users will be able to use their phones longer before they have to charge them,” says Dr. Bor Jang, CEO of G³. “Drivers of electric vehicles will be able to travel further. By using a graphene-enhanced anode, we can make smaller, lighter weight lithium ion batteries with higher storage capacity. This is especially useful in applications where space is limited such as mobile devices, drones and power tools.”
The award is the latest in a long line of milestones that have helped to generate more than 400 patents for G³. The leading commercial producer for graphene, G³ was the first company to successfully produce nano-graphene sheets in 2002. It patented the first production method for pristine graphene the same year. Jang and Dr. Aruna Zhamu founded Angstron Materials in 2007 and filed a patent for graphene-silicon anode technology. In 2012 Jang and Zhamu built the world’s first facility for the mass production of graphene.
In 2016 Jang announced he would open the company’s extensive patent portfolio for licensing agreements. The open architecture approach created a graphene ecosystem that has helped to foster innovation and collaboration. The same year G³ was formed to create a holding company for Angstron, Nanotek Instruments, AEC and three other divisions. Pilot production of GCA-II-N was launched in 2018.
“I’m very proud of our team and the hard work they have invested to help us realise the GCA-II-N product,” says Jang. “We are also pleased with R&D Magazine’s recognition. It underlines our continuing commitment to search for new ways to provide development and commercialisation of affordable graphene-enabled solutions to our customers.”
Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, US G³ is the world’s largest producer of graphene material and a leader in graphene utilisation and application. The company is ISO 9001:2015 certified for full-scale graphene production. It develops, sells and licenses graphene and graphene-enabled technologies to support the evolution of products that include electric vehicles, phones, tires and paint. This pioneering work in the graphene market has provided a strong foundation for inventions like its graphene-enabled battery technologies.
https://www.rdworldonline.com/graphene-silicon-combo-could-be-key-to-next-gen-lithium-ion-batteries/
