Li-ion battery technology has become very important in recent years as these batteries show great promise as power sources that can lead us to the electric vehicle (EV) revolution. The development of new materials for Li-ion batteries is the focus of research in prominent groups in the field of materials science throughout the world. Li-ion batteries can be considered to be the most impressive success story of modern electrochemistry in the last two decades. They power most of today's portable devices, and seem to overcome the psychological barriers against the use of such high energy density devices on a larger scale for more demanding applications, such as EV. Since this field is advancing rapidly and attracting an increasing number of researchers, it is important to provide current and timely updates of this constantly changing technology. In this review, we describe the key aspects of Li-ion batteries: the basic science behind their operation, the most relevant components, anodes, cathodes, electrolyte solutions, as well as important future directions for R&D of advanced Li-ion batteries for demanding use, such as EV and load-leveling applications.

Challenges in the development of advanced Li-ion batteries: a review

Over the past 30 years, significant commercial and academic progress has been made on Li-based battery technologies. From the early Li-metal anode iterations to the current commercial Li-ion batteries (LIBs), the story of the Li-based battery is full of breakthroughs and back tracing steps. This review will discuss the main roles of material science in the development of LIBs. As LIB research progresses and the materials of interest change, different emphases on the different subdisciplines of material science are placed. Early works on LIBs focus more on solid state physics whereas near the end of the 20th century, researchers began to focus more on the morphological aspects (surface coating, porosity, size, and shape) of electrode materials. While it is easy to point out which specific cathode and anode materials are currently good candidates for the next-generation of batteries, it is difficult to explain exactly why those are chosen. In this review, for the reader a complete developmental story of LIB should be clearly drawn, along with an explanation of the reasons responsible for the various technological shifts. The review will end with a statement of caution for the current modern battery research along with a brief discussion on beyond lithium-ion battery chemistries.

30 Years of Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Metal Oxides and Oxysalts as Anode Materials for Li Ion Batteries

Recent developments in cathode materials for lithium ion batteries

The olivine LiFePO4 now stands as a competitive candidate of cathode material for the next generation of a green and sustainable lithium-ion battery system due to its long life span, abundant resources, low toxicity, and high thermal stability. In this review, we focus on LiFePO4 and discuss its structure, synthesis, electrochemical behavior, mechanism, and the problems encountered in its application. The major goal is to highlight some recent development of LiFePO4 with high rate capability, high energy density, and excellent cyclability resulting from conductive coating, nanocrystallization, or preparation.

Izumi Taniguchi

Papers

Synthesis of carbon-coated LiFePO4 nanoparticles with high rate performance in lithium secondary batteries

Physical and electrochemical properties of LiMnPO4/C composite cathode prepared with different conductive carbons

Electrochemical performance of nanocomposite LiMnPO4/C cathode materials for lithium batteries

Relationship between the electrochemical and particle properties of LiMn2O4 prepared by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

Particle morphology and electrochemical performances of spinel LiMn2O4 powders synthesized using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method