Nanoconfined electrolytes and their use in batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10811724-B2
Application number	US-201816011000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2018
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2020
Grant date	Oct 20, 2020

Abstract

A nanoconfined metal-containing electrolyte comprising a layer of enclosed nanostructures in which each enclosed nanostructure contains a liquid metal-containing electrolyte, wherein said enclosed nanostructures are in physical contact with each other. Metal-ion batteries containing the nanoconfined electrolyte in contact with an anode and cathode of the battery are also described. Methods for producing the nanoconfined electrolyte are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metal-ion battery comprising:
(a) an anode;
(b) a cathode; and
(c) a nanoconfined metal-containing electrolyte in contact with said anode and cathode, said nanoconfined metal-containing electrolyte comprising a layer of enclosed nanostructures having a particle size of at least 10 nm and up to 500 nm, wherein each enclosed nanostructure contains a liquid metal-containing electrolyte, wherein said enclosed nanostructures are in physical contact with each other, wherein said enclosed nanostructures contain pores, with at least 90% of the pores having a pore size of up to 6 nm, and wherein said nanostructures are hollow when not filled with the liquid metal-containing electrolyte.

2. The metal-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein said anode is a metal anode.

3. The metal-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein said enclosed nanostructures contain pores, with at least 90% of the pores having a pore size of up to 2 nm.

4. The metal-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein said enclosed nanostructures have a particle size of at least 10 nm and up to 100 nm.

5. The metal-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein said enclosed nanostructures have a particle size of at least 10 nm and up to 50 nm.

6. The metal-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein said enclosed nanostructures have a metal oxide composition.

7. The metal-ion battery according to claim 6 , wherein said metal oxide composition is silicon oxide.

8. The metal-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein said enclosed nanostructures have a crosslinked polymer composition.

9. The metal-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein said metal-containing electrolyte comprises a metal salt dissolved in an organic solvent.

10. The metal-ion battery according to claim 1 , wherein said metal-containing electrolyte comprises a metal salt dissolved in an ionic liquid.

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc

Inventors

• Dai Sheng
• Zhang Jinshui
• Sun Xiao-Guang

Classifications

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/056 Primary

  characterised by the materials used as electrolytes, e.g. mixed inorganic/organic electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M10/054

  Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title