Goodenough, John B.
John B Goodenough, an American engineer who produced fundamental advances in battery technology with his research on lithium-ion battery technology. He developed new cathode materials for these batteries that greatly improved their performance. Lithium-ion batteries dominate the market, powering laptop computers, cellular phones, and a myriad of other electronic devices. Lithium-ion batteries are also receiving considerable attention for application in hybrid-electric vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries are superior to other batteries because they do not suffer from “battery memory effect” – a loss of capacity that occurs when a battery is recharged before it is fully depleted – because they are small and light, and are capable of storing more energy in less space than any other type of rechargeable battery. Goodenough is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and L'Academie des Sciences de L'Institut de France. He won the prestigious Japan Prize in 2001 for his innovative work on batteries.
Further Reading
Lithium Ion Hybrid Batteries: A Laptop in Every Garage (HybridCars.com)
