April 19, 2013
Asahi Kasei Corp.
Asahi Kasei Fellow Dr. Akira Yoshino has been chosen for the 2013 Global Energy Prize in recognition of “his ground-breaking work in the development of the lithium-ion rechargeable battery, the beating heart of mobile electronic devices, electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.”
Dr. Yoshino invented a completely new combination of carbon for the negative electrode and LiCoO2 (lithium cobalt oxide) for the positive electrode, developed the fundamental technology for the lithium-ion battery (LIB) which uses aluminum as positive current collector material, and fabricated the world’s first LIB cell. He also developed other technologies that were essential for the successful commercialization of the LIB, including technology for fabricating electrodes, technology for assembling batteries, and other technology that made the LIB possible as a small, lightweight rechargeable battery. Not only has the LIB facilitated widespread adoption of many portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and notebook computers, but it is also increasingly used in electric vehicles as an environmentally friendly means of transportation.
Established in Russia in 2002, the Global Energy Prize is one of the world’s most respected awards in energy science. The award ceremony will be held in June 2013 as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
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