editorial Tales of invention The milestones in rechargeable lithium-ion battery development have been widely reported but the frst-hand accounts from inventors have often not been. We aim to bring their personal stories to wider attention with a new article series.

ince the long-overdue announcement The next instalments in this series interest and extensive research on the of the Nobel Prize for the development will be accounts from two other Nobel ternary cathode. The tale of this invention Sof lithium-ion batteries in 2019, there Laureates. John B. Goodenough (and his will therefore be told by two pioneers and has been wide coverage of the birth of this protégée Arumugam Manthiram) major contributors to the field. We also take wonder technology. For many, especially will tell us how no battery company was this opportunity to call upon other pioneers those working in energy storage, the history interested in the patent on lithium cobalt and major contributors who may want to of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is not oxide cathodes at the time of the invention. join us in this effort and make their own exactly a mystery. However, most accounts Yet ironically this proved one of his many contributions. of battery inventions tend to be second-hand great inventions that went on to find huge and focus only on technical aspects. What success in powering portable electronics. “At the same time, we also is often missing is the first-hand narrative Akira Yoshino, on the other hand, will hope that readers — and from the original inventors describing their explain how basic exploratory research motivations and inspirations, their successes in Asahi Kasei Corp. allowed him to especially early-career and failures along the way, and the broad embark on a journey from exploring researchers — can draw context for their work. In a new series in polyacetylene — a plastic that was entirely Nature Energy — entitled Tales of Invention unrelated to batteries — to carbonaceous inspiration from the inventors’ — we invite battery pioneers to share with anodes and eventually a prototype of the frst-hand refections...” our readers their personal reflections and contemporary lithium-ion battery. unique insights on their discoveries. There are many key milestones We hope that this series will allow general To kick start the series, our February along the road to today’s commercial readers in the wider energy community issue presents the story of the invention of lithium-ion batteries. Sadly, we cannot to understand the historical development lithium titanium disulphide (TiS2) cathodes cover all of them. As such, this series aims of some of the most fascinating battery from M. Stanley Whittingham. Recalling to present invention stories of some components and concepts. At the same time, the challenges that battery developers of the most representative battery we also hope that readers — and especially faced in the 1970s, the Nobel Laureate components. In particular, we will try to early-career researchers — can draw recounts the development of the TiS2 focus on those that have had large-scale inspiration from the inventors’ first-hand battery in his lab, along with the subsequent commercial success. reflections on these instrumental commercialization efforts, the challenges While we intend to hear directly discoveries in ways that might benefit encountered and even the failure of the from original inventors, this may not their own work. ❐ first practical lithium battery. He also be guaranteed in all cases. For example, reflects on a number of fascinating firsts in there have been over 4,000 patents alone electrochemical research that resulted from on nickel–manganese–cobalt lithium-ion Published online: 19 February 2021 the discovery of TiS2 cathodes. batteries, given the enormous commercial https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-021-00788-8

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