Synthesis of ammonia from water and nitrogen using a compo-site cathode based on La0.6Ba0.4Fe0.8Cu0.2O3-δ-Ce0.8Gd0.18Ca0.02O2-δ


http://dx.doi.org/10.5599/jese.1793   589 

J. Electrochem. Sci. Eng. 13(4) (2023) 589-590 http://dx.doi.org/10.5599/jese.1973    

 
Open Access : : ISSN 1847-9286 

www.jESE-online.org 

Editorial 

Battery technologies: lithium & beyond 
Prayag Biswal 

Schlumberger Ltd. USA 

pb542@cornell.edu  

Published: July 11, 2023 
 

 

Global efforts to mitigate climate change are causing a transition from non-renewable energy 

resources (fossil fuels) to renewable energy resources (wind, solar, hydroelectricity, geothermal). 

This energy transition to sustainably meet the world’s growing needs for electricity, heating, cooling, 

and power for transport is widely considered to be one of the biggest challenges facing humanity in 

this century. The transition is enabled by improvements in generation and storage technologies 

critical to harvesting inherently intermittent renewable energy. Moreover, growing needs for 

smaller, lighter, more powerful portable electronic devices and more powerful electric vehicles 

suitable for long-range transportation have further fostered the demand for dispatchable and 

efficient electrical energy storage. These have catalyzed rapid development and commercialization 

of high-energy and lightweight rechargeable batteries, primarily based on lithium. However, lithium-

enabled rechargeable batteries are plagued with challenges such as uncontrolled surface/interface 

(low safety), sluggish transport & reaction kinetics (slow charging), & relatively rare abundance of 

the metal (high cost). Moving beyond lithium necessitates the development of safe & fast-charging 

rechargeable batteries based on relatively abundant metals (i.e. Na, Zn, Al, Fe, etc.). 

This special issue discusses (a) the genesis and current state of lithium-ion batteries bridging 

chemistry to commercial applications (Le, A general introduction to lithium-ion batteries: From the 

first concept to the top six commercials and beyond) (b) material chemistries that enable next-

generation lithium-ion electrodes of high performance and energy densities (Pavitra et al., Brief 

review on carbon derivatives based ternary metal oxide composite electrode materials for lithium-

ion batteries) (c) fundamental understanding of anode and cathode reaction pathways that dictate 

lithium ion-battery performance (H. Dasari, E. Eisenbraun, Predicting the effect of silicon electrode 

design parameters on thermal performance of a lithium-ion battery and M. Sakai, Cathode reaction 

models for Braga-Goodenough Na-ferrocene and Li-MnO2 rechargeable batteries) (d) electro-

chemically inactive precursors and coatings that can enhance the performance of lithium electrodes 

and therein the battery performance across rate capability and longevity (C. Cai et al., Impact of 

carbon coating processing using sucrose for thick binder-free titanium niobium oxide lithium-ion 

battery anode) and (e) battery material processing and doping techniques that enhance the energy 

density and cyclability of the lithium-ion battery K. Elong et al., Annealing effect on structural and 

http://dx.doi.org/10.5599/jese.1793
http://dx.doi.org/10.5599/jese.1973
http://www.jese-online.org/
mailto:pb542@cornell.edu


J. Electrochem. Sci. Eng. 13(4) (2023) 589-590 EDITORIAL 

590  

electrochemical performance of Ti-doped LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 cathode materials). In summary, this 

issue aims to provide the readers with a fundamental understanding of lithium battery technology, 

from material chemistry to commercial applications, that enables the readers to endeavor in their 

discovery of next-generation batteries.  

This issue is a tribute to Peter Faguy (1956 - 2022), a true scientist, a teacher, and a friend who 

led translational R&D programs to commercialize battery technology for electric vehicles. He was 

proud and determined to develop the future of renewable energy for the entire world. Many people 

think he has done this; if not, it was only a matter of time. 
 

©2023 by the authors; licensee IAPC, Zagreb, Croatia. This article is an open-access article  
distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license  

(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)