Early Lithium-Ion Battery Design Using Chalcogenides

This 1977 patent describes an early rechargeable battery design using lithium as one electrode and titanium disulfide as the other, a key step towards modern lithium-ion technology.

What it covers

This patent details a rechargeable battery system. It specifies an anode made from reactive metals like lithium, and a cathode made from a layered material called a chalcogenide, specifically titanium disulfide (TiS2) in one preferred embodiment. The key is that the titanium disulfide has a structure that allows ions (like lithium ions) from the anode to easily insert themselves into the chalcogenide's layers, and then be released back to the anode during charging. An electrolyte, which doesn't react with either electrode, facilitates this ion movement. Claim 10 provides a concrete example: lithium anode, titanium disulfide cathode, and a lithium perchlorate electrolyte in a mix of tetrahydrofuran and dimethoxyethane.

What it doesn't cover

• —Batteries using anodes made of metals not listed in Group Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb, IIIa, or IVa.
• —Batteries using cathode materials other than layered chalcogenides of the formula MZx (where M is Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, V and Z is S, Se, Te, with x between 1.8-2.05) or alloys thereof.
• —Batteries where the electrolyte chemically reacts with either the anode or the cathode.
• —Batteries that do not allow for the intercalation of anode ions into the cathode structure.
• —Batteries using solid-state electrolytes if the electrolyte is not specifically claimed as solid in claims 22 or 24.

The clever bit

The innovation was recognizing that specific layered metal sulfides, like titanium disulfide, could reversibly 'host' lithium ions within their structure without degrading, enabling efficient charge and discharge cycles. This intercalation mechanism was key to making a practical rechargeable lithium battery.

Why it matters

This patent represents a foundational invention by M. Stanley Whittingham, who later won a Nobel Prize for his work on lithium-ion batteries. It describes one of the first practical rechargeable lithium battery chemistries, paving the way for the portable electronics revolution. The use of lithium metal and titanium disulfide was a critical early step in developing the high-energy-density batteries that power our phones, laptops, and electric vehicles today.

Real-world examples

• 1.Early rechargeable lithium batteries
• 2.Foundational research for modern lithium-ion batteries