Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO) is a primary cathode active material that was discovered in 1980 by John B. Goodenough and Koichi Mizushima, and later commercialised by Sony in 1991. It typically appears as a dark blue or bluish-gray crystalline solid. Due to its high volumetric energy density and stable voltage platform, LCO remains the dominant battery chemistry for portable consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. It shares its layered R−3m structure with Lithium Nickel Oxide (LNO), the nickel analogue that was studied alongside LCO but never reached commercial production in pure form.
Genesis of Energy: How the Lithium-Ion Battery Was Born
It took over 40 years for the contributions of Whittingham, Goodenough, and Yoshino to be formally recognized. In 2019, all three received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their pioneering work.
See also: Cathode, Anode & Electrolyte Explained, Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide, SONY Lithium Ion Batteries- Worlds First commercialized LiB 1991.