There a pretty good chance that whatever device you're reading this on has a lithium-ion battery in it. And, for that, we can thank John B. Goodenough, a professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas.
Forty years ago, Goodenough laid the groundwork for the batteries that power millions upon millions of devices worldwide by using lithium, a silver and white colored metal mined out of brine operations, to help distribute the stored energy.
On Wednesday morning, Goodenough was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his contribution to the game-changing technology, along with Stanley Whittingham of the State University of New York at Binghamton and Akira Yoshino of Meijo University.
He's the oldest person to win what many consider the most distinguished and best known prize in science.
“Live to 97 (years old) and you can do anything,” said Goodenough in a news release. “I’m honored and humbled to win the Nobel prize. I thank all my friends for the support and assistance throughout my life.”
Goodenough, who came to UT in 1986 after working at Oxford and MIT, is the Virginia H. Cockrell Centennial Chair of Engineering in the Cockrell School at UT.
And he's still innovating. He and fellow researchers have recently identified promising new methods of energy storage and distribution with sodium-ion batteries. In 2017, Goodenough and his team developed new battery cells have at least three times as much energy density as today’s lithium-ion batteries.
“Billions of people around the world benefit every day from John’s innovations,” Gregory L. Fenves, president of The University of Texas at Austin and former dean of the Cockrell School, said in statement. “In addition to being a world-class inventor, he’s an outstanding teacher, mentor and researcher. We are grateful for John’s three decades of contributions to UT Austin’s mission.”
