Review of lithium-ion technology

Summary form only given as follows. The lithium-ion technology began to receive increased attention in 1990 when Sony Energytech announced the development of a lithium-ion cell. Sony reported their cell, consisting of a carbon anode capable of intercalating lithium ions and a LiCoO ₂ cathode, delivered an energy density of 115 Wh/kg at an operating voltage of 3.6 V and was capable of 1200 deep discharge cycles. Although work on this technology had been in progress for over a decade, the level of effort worldwide accelerated after this announcement. The emphasis has been on carbon materials capable of reversibly intercalating lithium ions, transition metal chalcogenides capable of lithium ion insertion, and electrolytes, both liquid and polymeric, having a high room temperature conductivity and able to withstand the high voltages generated by these systems. The status of research in lithium-ion technology is reviewed, with the major emphasis on carbons for use as intercalation anodes.<>