Electrochemical energy storage devices and components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10797310-B2
Application number	US-201414222312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2014
Priority date	Mar 21, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

A battery electrode composition is provided comprising anode and cathode electrodes and an electrolyte ionically coupling the anode and the cathode. At least one of the electrodes may comprise a plurality of active material particles provided to store and release ions during battery operation. The electrolyte may comprise an aqueous metal-ion electrolyte ionically interconnecting the active material particles. Further, the plurality of active material particles may comprise a conformal, metal-ion permeable coating at the interface between the active material particles and the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte. The conformal, metal-ion permeable coating impedes water decomposition at the aforesaid at least one of the electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metal-ion battery composition, comprising:
anode and cathode electrodes, wherein at least one of the anode and cathode electrodes comprises a plurality of active material particles capable of storing and releasing ions during battery operation;
a separator electrically separating the anode electrode and the cathode electrode; and
an electrolyte ionically coupling the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, wherein the electrolyte comprises an aqueous metal-ion electrolyte ionically interconnecting the plurality of active material particles,
wherein the plurality of active material particles comprises a conformal, metal-ion permeable coating that is separate from the separator and arranged at an interface between the plurality of active material particles and the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte, whereby the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating is electrically insulative and ionically conductive so as to impede water decomposition at the at least one of the anode and cathode electrodes by enhancing an over-potential for water decomposition at the interface by at least 0.25 V.

2. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating has an average thickness is in the range of about 10 nm to about 500 nm.

3. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating encases each of the plurality of active material particles individually.

4. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating encases the plurality of active material particles as a whole.

5. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating is a composite coating comprising a plurality of layers.

6. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 5 , wherein two or more layers among the plurality of layers include different compositions.

7. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of layers comprises an outer layer formed from an electrical insulator material for preventing electrochemical reduction of the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte on the anode electrode or preventing electrochemical oxidation of the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte on the cathode electrode by accommodating a portion of a voltage drop between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode and thereby reducing a voltage drop across the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte.

8. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of layers comprises a layer selected from the group consisting of:
an electrically conductive layer for electrically connecting the plurality of active material particles;
an interfacing layer for enhancing uniformity or adhesion of another layer;
a mechanically stable layer for enhancing mechanical stability of the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating; and
a supplemental protection layer for preventing electrochemical reduction of the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte on the anode electrode or preventing electrochemical oxidation of the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte on the cathode electrode.

9. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating comprises, as a single or outer layer, a chemically-linked, polymeric coating containing one or more pH-regulating functional groups.

10. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 9 , wherein the one or more pH-regulating functional groups comprise an acidic functional group for decreasing the pH of the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte at the interface of the cathode electrode to prevent electrochemical oxidation of the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte.

11. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 9 , wherein the one or more pH-regulating functional groups comprise a basic functional group for increasing the pH of the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte at the interface of the anode electrode to prevent electrochemical reduction of the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte.

12. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating is formed on the at least one of the anode and cathode electrodes prior to a formation cycle of a cell comprising the metal-ion battery composition.

13. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating is at least partially formed on the at least one of the anode and cathode electrodes by decomposition of one or more additives to the aqueous metal-ion electrolyte during a formation cycle of a cell comprising the metal-ion battery composition.

14. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 5 ,
wherein the plurality of layers comprises a first layer that is electrically insulative, and
wherein the plurality of layers comprises a second layer that comprises (i) a carbon or (ii) one or more metals that enhance the over-potential for water decomposition by at least 0.25 V.

15. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating comprises a plurality of pores having an average pore size in the range of about 0.5 nm to about 10 nm.

16. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of active material particles are composites with a core-shell structure.

17. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 16 , wherein a core of each active material particle is a nanocomposite comprising active material and at least one of (i) pores, (ii) a carbon additive, or (iii) a carbon scaffolding matrix.

18. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 17 , wherein the carbon scaffolding matrix is porous with an average pore size in the range of about 0.5 nm to about 20 nm, and wherein the carbon scaffolding matrix contains active material that at least partially fills the pores.

19. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 16 , wherein a shell of each active material particle is a nanocomposite comprising at least one of (i) an electrical conductive layer, (ii) a mechanical stability layer, or (iii) a water impermeability layer.

20. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the metal-ion battery composition corresponds to an aqueous Li-ion or Na-ion battery.

21. The metal-ion battery composition of claim 1 , wherein the conformal, metal-ion permeable coating comprises, as a single or outer layer, a chemically-linked, polymeric coating.

Assignees

• Sila Nanotechnologies Inc

Inventors

• Yushin Gleb
• Zdyrko Bogdan
• Berdichevsky Eugene Michael

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M4/505

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title

• H01M4/525

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy · CPC title

• H01M10/36

  Accumulators not provided for in groups H01M10/05-H01M10/34 · CPC title

• H01M10/4235

  Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence) · CPC title