Akira Yoshino facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Akira Yoshino
|
|
|---|---|
| 吉野 彰 | |
Akira Yoshino
|
|
| Born | 30 January 1948 Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
|
| Education | Kyoto University (BS, MS) Osaka University (PhD) |
| Awards | IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies (2012) Global Energy Prize (2013) Charles Stark Draper Prize (2014) Japan Prize (2018) Nobel Prize (2019) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrochemistry |
| Institutions | Asahi Kasei Meijo University |
Akira Yoshino (born January 30, 1948) is a Japanese chemist. He is known for his important work on lithium-ion batteries. These batteries power many of our everyday devices.
Yoshino helped create the first safe and practical lithium-ion battery. This invention changed how we use cellular phones and notebook computers. In 2019, he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He shared this award with M. Stanley Whittingham and John B. Goodenough.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Akira Yoshino was born in Suita, Japan, on January 30, 1948. He finished high school in Osaka City in 1966. He then studied engineering at Kyoto University. He earned his first degree in 1970 and a master's degree in 1972. Later, in 2005, he received a doctorate from Osaka University.
When he was in elementary school, a teacher suggested he read a book. It was called "The Chemical History of a Candle" by Michael Faraday. This book made him very curious about chemistry. Before reading it, he had not been interested in the subject.
During his university years, Yoshino took a class taught by Kenichi Fukui. Fukui was a Japanese chemist. He was the first person from East Asia to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
His Career and Work
Yoshino spent his whole career working at Asahi Kasei Corporation. He started there right after finishing his master's degree in 1972. In the early 1970s, he joined a research team. They were looking for new materials for general use.
At first, he explored using a material called polyacetylene. But Japan's electronics industry needed new, light, and small rechargeable batteries. So, Yoshino started trying polyacetylene as a part of a battery.
In 1982, he began working in the Kawasaki Laboratory. By 1992, he became a manager for battery product development. In 1994, he managed technical development for A&T Battery Corp. This company was a partnership between Asahi Kasei and Toshiba.
Asahi Kasei made him a special fellow in 2003. In 2005, he became the general manager of his own lab. Since 2017, he has been a professor at Meijo University. He is now an honorary fellow at Asahi Kasei.
Battery Research
In 1981, Yoshino began researching rechargeable batteries. He used a material called polyacetylene. This material is a special kind of plastic that can conduct electricity. Hideki Shirakawa discovered polyacetylene. Shirakawa later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000 for his discovery.
In 1983, Yoshino built a test battery. It used lithium cobalt oxide as the positive part (cathode). It used polyacetylene as the negative part (anode). In this battery, the negative part did not contain lithium itself. Instead, lithium particles moved from the positive part into the negative part when charging. This design was the direct start of the modern lithium-ion battery.
Polyacetylene had a problem: it was not very dense. This meant batteries made with it would be large. It also was not very stable. So, Yoshino changed the negative part to a carbon material. In 1985, he made the first working lithium-ion battery. He received a patent for this important invention.
This was the moment the modern lithium-ion battery was born.
Companies like Sony in 1991 and A&T Battery in 1992 started selling these batteries. Yoshino later wrote about the challenges and history of his invention.
Yoshino found a special carbon material that worked well as the negative part. This material was used in the first commercial lithium-ion batteries. He also developed an aluminum foil part that helped the battery work at high voltage safely. He created a special separator inside the battery. He also added a safety device that helps prevent overheating.
Yoshino designed the battery to be coiled up inside. This design gives a large surface area for the battery parts. This helps the battery give out a lot of power quickly.
In 1986, Yoshino had a group of test batteries made. Safety tests were done on these batteries. Based on these tests, the United States Department of Transportation said these batteries were different from older, metallic lithium batteries. This was an important step for their safe use.
Awards and Recognition
Yoshino has received many awards for his work, including:
- 1998: Chemical Technology Prize from the Chemical Society of Japan
- 1999: Battery Division Technology Award from The Electrochemical Society
- 2001: Ichimura Prizes in Industry—Meritorious Achievement Prize
- 2003: Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology—Prize for Science and Technology, Development Category
- 2004: Medal with Purple Ribbon, from the Government of Japan
- 2011: Yamazaki-Teiichi Prize from the Foundation for Promotion of Material Science and Technology of Japan
- 2011: C&C Prize from the NEC C&C Foundation
- 2012: IEEE Medal for Environmental and Safety Technologies from the IEEE
- 2013: Global Energy Prize
- 2014: Charles Stark Draper Prize
- 2018: Japan Prize
- 2019: European Inventor Award
- 2019: Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- 2019: Order of Culture
- 2023: VinFuture Prize
See also
In Spanish: Akira Yoshino para niños
