Nobel laureate M. Stanley Whittingham shared insights from his pioneering work on lithium-ion batteries and addressed the future of energy storage during the Adams-Hauge Fund Smalley Lecture in Materials Science and Nanoengineering delivered recently at Rice University.
Hosted by the Department of Materials Science and Nanoengineering and the Rice Advanced Materials Institute (RAMI), the lecture drew faculty and students eager to hear from one of the key figures behind the technology that powers modern electronics and electric vehicles. In 2019, Whittingham, together with John B. Goodenough and Akira Yoshino, was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry “for the development of lithium-ion batteries.”
Whittingham, distinguished professor of chemistry and materials science at Binghamton University and director of the Northeast Center for Chemical Energy Storage, reflected on the early days of lithium battery research, dating to his work at Exxon in the 1970s, and traced the evolution of rechargeable battery technology. He highlighted both the progress made in energy storage and the challenges that remain, including safety concerns, material sourcing and the need for sustainable supply chains.
Whittingham also addressed key trends in battery development, including the shift away from “difficult materials” like cobalt, the push to reduce the use of organic solvents and move toward dry processing in manufacturing, scaling up single crystal materials synthesis, improving thermal stability and reducing reactivity and the need for more efficient and localized extractive metallurgy. He encouraged students to stay focused in their research journey and carve their own niche.
“Don’t follow the path everyone else is taking — pick something that excites you, that’s different from what other people are doing,” Whittingham said, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and noting that fields ranging from chemistry and engineering to political science have a role to play in making advanced energy storage a commercial and policy reality.
Whittingham delivered his lecture following the U.S. Department of Energy’s Battery500 Consortium’s quarterly review meeting Feb. 12-13, held at Rice. Battery500, one of the largest federally funded battery research initiatives in the United States, is focused on increasing the energy density of advanced lithium batteries for electric vehicles and other scalable commercial technologies. Whittingham, a principal investigator in the program, joined researchers from partnering national laboratories and universities to discuss recent progress landmarks and future agenda for the consortium.
“Bringing top researchers in the battery field from around the country to the Rice campus is certainly a great boost to the ongoing battery research efforts at Rice by fostering close interactions among researchers,” said Jun Lou, a professor of materials science and nanoengineering and of chemistry. Lou is the faculty host of the Battery500 quarterly review meeting and a seedling project investigator of Battery500 Consortium.
Rice’s strong battery research community made it a fitting venue for both the lecture and the Battery500 meeting. Faculty and students across materials science, chemistry and engineering are actively working on battery chemistry, manufacturing techniques and alternative lithium extraction methods.
Whittingham met with several Rice faculty members and graduate students as well as with Thomas Killian, dean of the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and the E. Dell Butcher Professor of Physics and Astronomy; Ramamoorthy Ramesh, executive vice president for research and professor of materials science and nanoengineering and physics and astronomy; and Rice President Reginald DesRoches.
Whittingham also got a chance to learn about the mission and initiatives of several Rice research institutes, including RAMI and the Smalley-Curl Institute.
“It was a pleasure to have Dr. Whittingham visit us and offer a chance to reflect on how foundational breakthroughs in lithium-ion battery technology continue to shape the future of energy storage,” said Lane Martin, the Robert A. Welch Professor of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, a professor of chemistry and physics and astronomy and RAMI director. “At Rice and in RAMI, we have a strong cluster of faculty — which we hope to grow further — exploring how advanced materials can drive the next generation of energy storage solutions, and the discussions throughout the visit have been an inspiring opportunity to engage with one of the field’s trailblazers.”
Karen Lozano, Trustee Professor and chair of materials science and nanoengineering, said “Dr. Whittingham’s visit underscores our department’s deep commitment to cutting-edge research in energy storage and materials innovation.
“Advancing the frontiers of battery technology requires collaboration across disciplines, and opportunities like this reinforce our dedication to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in materials science and nanoengineering.”
Reflecting on his visit, Whittingham praised Rice’s research environment and the enthusiasm of its students.
“The quality of the students, the quality of the faculty and the really nice campus are impressive ⎯ it’s been great to be back after 40 years,” Whittingham said.