Hybrid sulfur particles and cathode active materials containing the hybrid particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10069141-B2
Application number	US-201514983763-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2015
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A hybrid particle having a core of a hybrid composite comprising at least two elements selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium and a coating of at least one self-assembling polymeric layer encapsulating the core is provided. A method for preparing the hybrid particle includes mixing an aqueous solution of a polymer with an aqueous solution of a soluble precursor of at least two elements selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium to form a mixture and adding an acid to the mixture to obtain the hybrid particle. A cathode having an active material of the hybrid particles and a battery containing the cathode are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hybrid particle, comprising:
a core of a hybrid composite consisting of at least two elements selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium; and
a coating encapsulating the core;
wherein the coating comprises a first layer of a polymer having hydrophobic domains and hydrophilic domains with a hydrophobic domain closest to the hybrid material core, and
at least a second conductive polymer layer having an electrical charge opposite to the first laver, adjacent to and ionically bonded with the first layer.

2. The hybrid particle of claim 1 , wherein
the core comprises elemental sulfur and elemental selenium,
a content of the sulfur is from greater than 50% to less than 100% by weight of the core, and
a content of the selenium is from greater than 0% to less than 50% by weight of the core.

3. The hybrid particle of claim 2 , wherein
the content of the sulfur is from 90% to less than 100% by weight of the core, and
the content of the selenium is from greater than 0% to less than 10% by weight of the core.

4. The hybrid particle of claim 1 , wherein
the core comprises elemental sulfur and elemental tellurium,
a content of the sulfur is from greater than 50% to less than 100% by weight of the core, and
a content of the tellurium is from greater than 0% to less than 50% by weight of the core.

5. The hybrid particle of claim 1 wherein a particle size of the core is from 0.01 micron to 1 micron.

6. The hybrid particle of claim 2 wherein the selenium is homogenously distributed with the elemental sulfur in the core.

7. The hybrid particle of claim 4 wherein the tellurium is homogenously distributed with the elemental sulfur in the core.

8. The particle of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises a layer of at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyaniline, poly(ethylene oxide), carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, polymethacrylic acid, [poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid)], branched polyethylenimine, and poly(diallyldimethylammoniumchloride).

9. A method for preparing the particle of claim 1 , comprising:
mixing an aqueous solution of a polymer having hydrophobic domains and hydrophilic domains with an aqueous solution of a soluble precursor of at least two elements selected from the group consisting of sulfur, selenium and tellurium to form a mixture;
adding an acid to the mixture to precipitate the hybrid material core close to a hydrophobic domain of the polymer as a first polymer layer; and
applying at least a second conductive polymer layer having an electrical charge opposite to the first layer adjacent to and ionically bonded with the first polymer layer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a soluble precursor of sulfur is present and the soluble precursor of sulfur is sodium thiosulfate.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a soluble precursor of selenium is present and the soluble precursor of selenium is of formula (I):
Na 2 SeSO 3   (I).

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a soluble precursor of tellurium is present and the soluble precursor of tellurium is of formula (II):
Na 2 TeSO 3   (II).

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the acid is at least one selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid, ascorbic acid, concentrated sulfuric acid, nitric acid, methanesulfonic acid and a mixture thereof.

14. A cathode comprising:
a conductive substrate, and
an active material comprising the hybrid particle of claim 1 .

15. A battery, comprising:
an anode comprising a metal as an active source of metal ions;
the cathode of claim 14 ; and
an electrolyte interposed between the anode and cathode.

16. A vehicle, comprising the battery of claim 15 .

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Bucur Claudiu B
• Muldoon John
• Osada Naoki
• Jones Mike

Classifications

• H01M4/624

  Electric conductive fillers · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M4/0497

  Chemical precipitation · CPC title

• H01M4/366 Primary

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M4/622

  being polymers · CPC title