Michael Thackeray

Michael Makepeace Thackeray is a materials chemist who has contributed significantly to advancing battery science and technology over a distinguished 46-year career. At the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa (1973-1994), Thackeray was a Group Leader in the Ceramics Division of the National Institute for Materials Research and then a Manager and Senior Research Officer in the Battery Technology Unit, Materials Science and Technology Division. At Argonne National Laboratory (1994-present), he has been a Group Leader in the Electrochemical Energy Storage Department, Director of the Center for Electrical Energy Storage, Deputy Director of the Center for Electrochemical Energy Science, and Argonne Distinguished Fellow and Senior Scientist. He is now an Argonne Emeritus Scientist and Argonne Associate.

Through his studies and understanding of structure-electrochemical relationships, Thackeray has pioneered the discovery, design, and development of new and improved battery materials for industry, particularly lithium metal oxide electrode structures for lithium-ion battery systems. He is an author on over 200 scientific papers and holds 60 patents. Six of his scientific papers received more than 1000 citations. He also authored a memoir, Running with Lithium — Empowering the Earth.

Thackeray received his BSc, MSc, and PhD (Chemistry) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa