Nobel prize winner Goodenough, who made smartphones possible by inventing Lithium-Ion batteries, dies

By Divyanshi SharmaWe all rely greatly on smartphones today and many of us possibly can’t imagine our lives without the precious rectangles that hold all our important data. But did you know who made these smartphones possible? It’s John B. Goodenough, the 2019 Nobel Prize winner who laid the groundwork for lithium-ion battery that powers today’s electronic devices like smartphones, laptops, tablets, etc, as well as electric and hybrid vehicles.

As per a New York Times report, Goodenough breathed his last on Sunday at an assisted living facility in Austin, Texas. He was 100.

About John B. Goodenough’s invention

In 1980, while working at the University of Oxford, Dr. Goodenough achieved a major breakthrough by developing a battery with a lithium-cobalt-oxide cathode. He had improved upon the design of the battery developed by Dr. Whittingham, a British chemist working for Exxon. Dr. Goodenough’s discovery allowed for higher energy capacity and greater safety in lithium-ion batteries, and they today are the preferred power source for a wide range of applications.

Even though Dr. Goodenough’s invention revolutionised the way we use technology, he never earned any royalty from his work and signed away most of his rights, the NYT report says. At first, the battery was of little interest and Oxford denied to patent it. Eventually, Dr Goodenough had to sign the rights over to a British atomic energy research organisation.

However, not everybody was oblivious to the potential of the battery. Scientists in Japan and Switzerland recognised the potential of lithium-ion batteries and sought to enhance their performance. Through their efforts, they discovered that layering lithium with graphitic carbon greatly improved the battery’s anode, further increasing its efficiency and safety. And in 1991, Sony combined Dr. Goodenough’s cathode and a carbon anode and produced the world’s first safe rechargeable lithium-ion battery that was safe to release in the market, the NYT report states.

In 2019, Dr. Goodenough became the oldest Nobel Prize laureate in history at the age of 97, sharing the prestigious award with two other scientists who played significant roles in advancing battery technology.

Recent work and early life

Even in his later years, Dr. Goodenough remained an active researcher at the University of Texas. He dedicated his efforts to developing a super-battery capable of storing and transporting renewable energy from sources like wind, solar, and nuclear power. His visionary work aimed to transform the national electric grid and make electric vehicles more practical, with unlimited travel ranges and quick recharging capabilities.

However, his early life was not that kind to him, as per the New York Times report. Born on July 25, 1922, in Jena, Germany, as a child, Dr Goodenough struggled with dyslexia and had emotionally distant parents. Due to his undiagnosed dyslexia, Dr Goodenough was regarded as a backward student at school, adding to his feelings of frustration and isolation. In his teenage years, he made adjustments to cope with his dyslexia at the Groton School in Massachusetts.

Despite his difficulties, he excelled in mathematics and languages, dedicating himself to rigorous studies in Latin and Greek. The structured educational environment at Groton and later at Yale University provided him with a solid foundation for his future endeavours.