Minerals as a source of novel Li-ion battery electrode materials

Abstract

<p align="left">As a tribute to the major contribution made by Academician Gligor Jovanovski to the field of Mineralogy in Macedonia, this paper promotes the potential role that minerals can have as a future source of inspiration in identifying novel materials for sustainable energy storage in general, and for advanced Li-ion batteries in particular. We exemplify this by indicating the innovative use of polyanions in novel Li-ion battery cathode materials such as the <em>olivine</em> lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄), and in an even newer material – the <em>orthosilicate </em>lithium iron silicate (Li₂FeSiO₄). Both materials have strong intrinsic links to mineralogy – and illustrate well how mineralogy can lead to new material breakthroughs in this and other areas of modern technology.</p>