Recent developments in lithium ion batteries

Lithium ion rechargeable batteries are used as the power supply of cellular phones and several other portable electrical devices at present, and demand appears to increase exponentially. The concern about energy sources in the near future, either for electric vehicles (EV) or for large-scale batteries for electricity power storage, has made lithium ion rechargeable battery development into a growth area which has gained high momentum for its research activities. Here, while presenting the state of the art of lithium ion battery technology, the current research into materials, which constitute anode, electrolyte and cathode is described and the underlying problems associated with their development, advantages and drawbacks is analyzed. Both polymer electrolytes, which is a recent topic, as well as conventional organic liquids electrolyte, are also described. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.