John Goodenough, Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino, co-winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, delivered their Nobel Lectures at The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 8. The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry recognized the three scientists’ seminal contributions in the development of the Lithium-ion battery. Goodenough, Whittingham, and Yoshino are longtime members of The Electrochemical Society (ECS); Goodenough and Whittingham are ECS Fellows.
The Nobel Foundation statutes require the Laureates to give lectures on a subject connected with the work for which the prize has been awarded.
John Goodenough had his pre-taped lecture delivered by Arumugam Manthiram on the topic of Designing Lithium-ion Cathodes.
Stanley Whittingham discussed The Origins of the Lithium Battery.
Akira Yoshino presented a Brief History and Future of Lithium-ion Batteries.
Each man gave an insight into their part in developing the revolutionary Lithium-ion battery. This strong, lightweight, and rechargeable battery stores significant energy from solar and wind sources, and powers everything from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles.
Christina Bock, president of the Board of The Electrochemical Society (ECS), congratulated the Laureates when the prizes were announced. “This is fitting recognition for the truly groundbreaking advancements these pioneers have made for our field and for the whole of humanity. Simply put, their research is the enabling science upon which the solutions to the grand challenges facing the planet—renewable energy, clean transportation, communications to name but a few—will be based. We are honored to count their almost 60 years of combined membership among our ranks,” she said.
