ABSTRACT
This chapter narrates the history of the birth of lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and the important milestones in their development up to the present, as well as paying tribute to the eminent personalities responsible for the development and commercialization of practical LIBs. The first rechargeable LIBs were reported by the British chemist M. Stanley Whittingham, a key figure in the history of the development of LIBs, while he was working at Exxon. These batteries were fabricated in 1976 with layered titanium disulfide as the cathode, and metallic lithium as an anode. A primary LIB is a one-direction device that only has a discharging process. During discharging, there is a reduction in the cathode gaining electrons and oxidation reacts on the anode losing electrons. The performance parameters of LIBs are largely determined by the electrochemical properties and characteristics of the component materials used in fabricating the batteries, as well as the cell engineering and system integration involved.
