This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino, three scientists working in the field of lithium-ion batteries. It is a well-deserved prize for the field as the invention and commercialization of lithium-ion batteries have huge impact on our daily lives. It led to the proliferation of mobile devices and changed the way we communicate with each other. It is also an important piece of the puzzle for sustainable development in the future.

The research on lithium-ion batteries started more than 40 years ago, and the technology was commercialized in early 1990s. Over the years, many technologies and materials were developed to improve the performances of the batteries. Dr. Denis Yu’s (Associate Professor, SEE) research laboratory at SEE has also contributed to this effort. Dr. Yu’s group is currently working on enabling high-capacity silicon electrodes for lithium-ion batteries, exploring new cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries, developing dual-ion batteries for fast charging applications and investigating new low-cost metal-metal batteries. The aim is to increase capacity, improve safety and develop new alternative battery systems for future applications.

Please click here for a newspaper clip from Apple Daily (Oct 10, 2019)