Pure Lithium Appoints Renowned Battery Expert Dr. Yuan Gao to Board of Directors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pure Lithium Corporation, a vertically integrated lithium metal battery technology company, is pleased to announce that world-renowned inventor and battery expert Dr. Yuan Gao has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Gao has been an invaluable member of Pure Lithium’s Scientific Advisory Board since October of 2023.

"We are thrilled to have Dr. Gao join our board as we focus on rapidly scaling our technology in the most capital efficient manner possible,” said Pure Lithium Founder, Chairman and CEO Emilie Bodoin. “Dr. Gao is a brilliant scientist who also has deep commercial expertise, a rare combination. He is also unique in the industry because his experience spans the entire battery materials value chain, including all of Pure Lithium’s verticals. His insights over the years have been critical in advancing our technology, and his experience as a director of public companies will strengthen our board.”

Dr. Gao commented: “I am thrilled to join the board of Pure Lithium Corporation, which has developed a unique technology that enables rechargeable high energy lithium metal batteries that have demonstrated exceptional long cycle lives. I look forward to working with the team on the next phase of Pure Lithium’s endeavour, commercializing this battery technology and bringing the products to the market.”

Dr. Gao has over 30 years of experience across the complete lithium-ion battery industry supply chain, from lithium extraction to battery production. He holds over 100 patents. He invented titanium magnesium cathode technology which enhances the conductivity and stabilizes the structure of layered oxide cathode materials. This invention, also known as the “high voltage lithium cobalt oxide technology” enables high voltage lithium-ion batteries and is being applied today in the vast majority of small portable electronics such as smart phones and tablets.

Dr. Gao joined cathode company Pulead Technology in May 2014 and served as its President and CEO until September 2019. He previously served as Corporate Vice President at rare earth company Molycorp (USA) and held various management positions at FMC Corporation’s Lithium Division (USA), now Rio Tinto Lithium, including Global Marketing Director and Technology Manager. He currently serves on the board of Lithium Americas Corporation (LAC), which is listed on the NYSE.

Dr. Gao received his BSc from the University of Science and Technology of China, and his PhD in Physics from the University of British Columbia in Canada. He received his postdoctoral training from Professor Jeff Dahn's lab at Simon Fraser University in Canada. He has also received executive education from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the USA.

Dr. Gao joins a board that includes Derek Willis, Vice President of Commercialization at Oxy Low Carbon Ventures; William F. Weld, former Governor of Massachusetts and a distinguished attorney; and Emilie Bodoin, the Chairman.

About Pure Lithium

Pure Lithium is a disruptive vertically integrated Chicago-based next-generation lithium metal battery technology company. The Company's patented vertically integrated technology combines lithium metal extraction, anode and battery production. The resulting pure lithium metal anode is the core component of the lithium metal battery, a step change improvement over today’s lithium-ion battery. Additionally, the battery is free of graphite, cobalt, nickel and manganese enabling the first ever non-China dominated supply chain. For more information, visit www.purelithium.io or email [e-mail].