A brief history of Li-ion batteries
1960s. Interest in Li-based batteries begin to grow, for their high theoretical energy density. The interest is largely driven by military/government interests.
Early 1970s. Fundamental research in intercalation compounds begins to grow, and the interest in rechargeable battery based on these is born (Brian Steele, Michel Armand and others).
1975. Stan Whittingham, then at Exxon, demonstrates the first Li-based rechargeable battery based on a TiS2 positive electrode; it surprised the community with how fast and reversible the reaction could be. Exxon develops a rechargeable battery based on LixAl | TiS2 but later abandons it.
1977. Moli Energy is founded with the goal of commercialising the isostructural compound MoS2 with a rechargeable Li electrode.
1980. John B. Goodenough correctly predicts that metal oxides should be more stable as positive electrodes at higher voltage. His group investigates LiMO2 compounds, and identifies LiCoO2 (LCO) as the best.
early 1980s. Positive electrode research takes off. A notable discovery in this time is the spinel LiMn2O4 (LMO), by Mike Thackeray and John Goodenough. Meanwhile, there are sporadic efforts to develop a rechargeable battery where both electrodes are intercalation compounds (dubbed a “rocking chair” battery by Michel Armand). Bruno Scrosati’s group claim the first laboratory demonstration of the concept.
1983. Rachid Yazami reports the electrochemical lithiation of graphite (previously not thought to be possible), using a polymer electrolyte.
mid 1980s. A team from Asahi Kasei (Isao Kuribayashi, Akira Yoshino) start to develop a carbonaceous anode to pair with LCO. Early work was based on polyacetylene, as graphite could not be used in organic solvents.
1984. Moli Energy launch Molicel, a 2.2 V Li | MoS2 battery for laptops and cellphones, but it would not reach the market until 1988. Sony’s joint venture with Union Carbide (Sony-Everready) ends in the wake of the Bhopal disaster; Sony start their own Li battery research, which UC had been reluctant to do.
1986. Asahi Kasei develop an optimised 4 V petroleum coke | LCO cell, and start developing prototypes in secret.
1987. Asahi Kasei sign an NDA with Sony, and present their technology. Sony focus their efforts on this, and it gets the name “lithium-ion battery”.
1989. Moli Energy are forced to recall Molicel after a number of fires in Japan, ending the prospects of rechargeable Li metal cells for decades.
1990. Sony announce a 4 V Li-ion battery with nearly 3x the energy density of the incumbent Ni-Cd technology.
1991. The Li-ion battery goes into production, in 14500 and 20500 cylindrical cell formats. 18650 cells are later developed for the CCD-TR1 camcorder - the length (65 mm) is chosen so the camera can be held in a single adult palm. The diameter of 18 mm was identified as a safety limit.
1993. After many scattered reports, Dominique Guyomard and Jean-Marie Tarascon demonstrate the use of ethylene carbonate (EC) as a solvent which enables the use of graphite negative electrodes.
1994. The “3rd generation” Li-ion battery with a graphite electrode is launched: the graphite electrode and EC-based electrolyte becomes the template for Li-ion batteries that persists to this day.
1995. BYD is founded, to produce batteries to compete in the Chinese market against Japanese imports.
1996. John Goodenough’s group patent LiFePO4, but the performance is not encouraging. They license it to Hydro-Québec where Karim Zaghib’s team continue development, and Michel Armand improves performance remarkably with a carbon surface coating.
1999. Ericsson produce one of the first products with the pouch cell (“LiPo”) format.
2001. Mike Thackeray, Khalil Amine, Jeff Dahn and others make a series of patents relating to a LiNi1-x-yMnxCoyO2 (NMC) positive electrode, with a higher capacity and higher energy density.
2001. Yet-Ming Chiang, Bart Riley and Ric Fulop found A123 Systems to commercialise LFP batteries.
2005. Hydro-Québec and UT Austin launch and infringement suit against A123, starting a 6-year legal battle.
2008. Tesla Motors launches the first generation Roadster, with 18650-format LCO cells.
2010. Nissan launches the first generation Leaf, with LMO pouch cells.
2011. BASF begin to commercialise NMC, with BMW one of the first users in the ActiveE, and later i3 and i8 models. CATL is founded. The LFP legal battle is settled out of court: Hydro-Québec, UT Austin, Université de Montréal and Johnson Matthey form LiFePO4+C AG to license LFP. The license is never defended in China, where the government heavily subsidises its production.
2012. Tesla launch the Model S with a LiNi1-x-yCoxAlyO2 (NCA) electrode. A123 goes bankrupt, and LFP interest almost completely dies out in the West (for a while). Meanwhile, Bolloré Group begins production of their lithium-metal-polymer (LMP) battery, using a Li metal electrode and… LFP.
mid-2010s. Driven by rising costs and ethical concerns about Co, the dominant positive electrode chemistry for electric vehicles shifts towards higher-Ni NMC compositions (NMC622, NMC811).
2019. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to John Goodenough, Stan Whittingham and Akira Yoshino, “for the development of lithium-ion batteries”.
2020. BYD launch the “Blade” LFP battery with energy density approaching that of conventional NMC and NCA battery packs but with the safety benefits of LFP; LFP interest in the West re-ignites almost overnight.