John Goodenough

1. Definition

John Goodenough (1922–2023) was an American solid-state physicist and Nobel laureate who co-invented the Lithium-ion Battery. While working at the University of Oxford in the 1970s and 1980s, Goodenough identified and developed lithium cobalt oxide ($LiCoO_2$) as the cathode material, doubling the energy capacity of rechargeable batteries and laying the foundation for modern electric vehicles, grid storage, and portable electronics. ([Wikipedia][1])

2. Alternate Names

*   John B. Goodenough
*   John Banister Goodenough

3. Recognized Identities

*   Wikipedia: John B. Goodenough
*   Wikidata: Q80889
*   DBpedia: John_B._Goodenough
*   ProductOntology: N/A
*   Wiktionary: N/A
*   Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Nobel Prize winners — Chemistry — Biography
*   MeSH: N/A
*   NCBI Taxonomy: N/A
*   AGROVOC: N/A
*   Google Scholar: John Goodenough lithium ion battery cathode cobalt oxide chemistry Nobel
*   ConceptNet: N/A
*   OpenCyc: N/A

4. Examples of Usage

*   **Cathode Application:** Utilizing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode chemistry, a battery format based on research pioneered by Goodenough, to power a BYD Blade Battery pack.
*   **BYD — Blade Battery Technology:** The main canonical article details the battery technologies, EV models, safety testing, and global market segments of BYD.

5. Typical Scenarios

*   **Reviewing battery history:** An engineering student researches Goodenough's 1980 paper on lithium cobalt oxide to understand rechargeable battery cathode physics.
*   **Developing cobalt-free chemistry:** A battery chemist builds upon Goodenough's work to design sodium-ion cells that bypass cobalt material constraints.

6. Key Strategies

*   Cross-reference battery chemistries and developer profiles with the main BYD article.
*   Focus chemistry research on LFP structures, which offer superior safety and cycle life derived from Goodenough's pioneer patents.

7. Safety & Security Measures

*   Ensure battery packaging is certified under UN 38.3 transport safety regulations before shipping.
*   Verify that battery integration designs include multi-stage thermal safety barriers to prevent thermal runaway.

8. Historical Context

During the 1970s energy crisis, Stanley Whittingham developed the first rechargeable lithium battery using titanium disulfide. In 1980, John Goodenough invented the lithium cobalt oxide cathode, which could store significantly more energy. This cathode was combined with a carbon anode by Akira Yoshino, leading to Sony commercializing the lithium-ion battery in 1991. The trio was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2019.

9. Common Challenges

*   **Thermal Runaway Risks:** High-energy cobalt cathodes developed from early designs are vulnerable to fire if short-circuited, requiring active battery management.
*   **Resource Constraints:** Sourcing cobalt for early cathode formulas has driven manufacturers to switch to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistries.

10. Related Topics

*   [[BYD]]
*   [[Electric Vehicle]]
*   [[ACMobility]]
*   [[Department of Energy (Philippines)]]

11. References

1.  [John B. Goodenough — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_B._Goodenough)