Their work “revolutionized our lives,” said the Nobel committee when it announced the three winners of this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Americans John B. Goodenough and M. Stanley Whittingham share the prize with Akira Yoshino from Japan for their work on the development of lithium-ion batteries.
The lightweight and rechargeable batteries power mobile phones and laptop computers. Lithium-ion battery technology has also enabled the development of energy storage for electric cars, solar power and wind power.
“They have laid the foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel–free society, and are of the greatest benefit to humankind,” the Nobel committee said of the batteries.
First awarded in 1901, the Nobel Prize is awarded annually in six categories and considered the world’s most prestigious award for each field.
2019 Chemistry Laureate John Goodenough doubled the lithium battery’s potential, creating the right conditions for a vastly more powerful and useful battery.#NobelPrize pic.twitter.com/ygivR7hySG
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2019
Americans also won 2019 Nobel Prizes in Physics and Medicine.
