Portable power: Advanced rechargeable lithium batteries

The full potential of wireless devices remains unattainable due to limitations in battery performance. It is the thesis of the guest editors and contributing authors of this issue of MRS Bulletin that there is much room for improvement, that we are still far from the practical limits of the technology, and that materials research has the capability to pave the way for a new generation of rechargeable batteries that will offer a dramatic improvement in power delivery over anything available today. The basics of battery operation, including the relevant electrochemistry, are reviewed, unsolved problems are enumerated, and prospective solutions are indicated.