Which technology earned John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry?

Lithium-ion batteries earned John Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The prize recognized their development of a rechargeable battery technology based on lithium ions moving between electrodes.

Whittingham developed an early rechargeable lithium battery using titanium disulfide as a cathode material and metallic lithium as the anode. Goodenough demonstrated that cobalt oxide could serve as a higher-voltage cathode. Yoshino replaced highly reactive metallic lithium with a safer carbon-based anode, helping create a practical rechargeable design.

During charging and discharging, lithium ions travel through an electrolyte between the anode and cathode, while electrons move through the external circuit. The ions do not normally travel through the external wire.

Lithium-ion batteries became important in portable electronics, electric vehicles and energy storage. They are distinct from primary lithium batteries, which are generally designed for single use rather than repeated recharging.