Nobel prize awarded Asahi Kasei-colleague

Oct 09, 2019

Today it was announced that one of our Asahi Kasei-colleagues, Akira Yoshino, will be awarded with this years Nobel prize in chemistry for inventing the lithium-ion battery.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 was awarded jointly to John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino for the development of lithium-ion batteries.

"Lithium ion batteries have revolutionized our lives and are used in everything from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles," tweeted the committee.

"Through their work, this year's Chemistry Laureates have laid the foundation of a wireless, fossil fuel-free society," it added.

The lithium-ion battery is an invention that affects us every day since they are important for the performance of modern phones and electric cars. It was by using lithium-ion batteries Tesla managed to start building cars with long range.

The three winners will share a prize of 9 million Swedish krona (SEK).

Click to read the full press release.

An illustration of the three winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry. From left: John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham and Akira Yoshino. (Niklas Elmedhed/Nobel Media).