Nanostructures for lithium air batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10847810-B2
Application number	US-201415031370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2014
Priority date	Oct 22, 2013
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

Provided herein are lithium-air battery cells comprising nanostructured (e.g., nanofiber) anode, cathode, and/or separator/electrolyte components.

First claim

We claim:

1. A process for producing a battery separator, the process comprising:
electrospinning a fluid stock to produce one or more nanofiber, the fluid stock comprising a polymer component and a ceramic precursor component, the ceramic precursor component comprising a low temperature curing ceramic precursor capable of curing to ceramic at a temperature of 50° C. or less, the electrospinning being conducted in the presence of a blowing gas;
a. collecting and/or assembling a nanofiber mat comprising the one or more nanofiber;
b. curing the ceramic precursor component at a temperature low enough to avoid carbonizing or removing the polymer; and
c. compressing the nanofiber mat,
the battery separator comprising a compressed nanofiber mat comprising one or more hybrid nanofiber(s), the one or more hybrid nanofiber(s) comprising the polymer and a continuous ceramic component,
wherein the fluid stock comprises about 5 wt. % to about 20 wt. % of the polymer, and the polymer component comprises a polystyrene (PS), polymethacrylate (PMA), polyvinylpyridine (PVP), polyvinylalkane, polyvinylcyclialkane, a polyimide, a polyamide, a polyalkene, polypropylene (PP), or a combination thereof.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the low temperature curing ceramic precursor is capable of curing to ceramic at a temperature of less than 30° C.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the low temperature curing ceramic precursor is or comprises perhydropolysilazane (PHPS).

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic precursor is a sol-gel forming ceramic precursor.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fluid stock comprises polymer and ceramic precursor in a ceramic precursor to polymer weight-to-weight ratio of at least 1:9.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fluid stock comprises about 5 wt. % to about 20 wt. % polymer.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer component comprises a block copolymer or a polymer blend.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer component comprises a block copolymer, the block copolymer comprising a polystyrene (PS) segment, polymethacrylate (PMA) segment, polyvinylpyridine (PVP) segment, polyvinylalkane, polyvinylcycloalkane segment, a polyimide segment, a polyamide segment, a polyalkene segment, polypropylene (PP) segment, or a combination thereof.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer component comprises a copolymer comprising a polyether segment, a polypropylene oxide segment, a polyamine segment, or a combination thereof.

10. The process of claim 8 , wherein the polymer component comprises a polyether, a polypropylene oxide, a polyamine, or a combination thereof.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the fluid stock is electrospun along and/or around a similar axis with a blowing gas.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid nanofiber(s) comprise a continuous core component comprising ceramic and a continuous sheath component comprising polymer.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hybrid nanofiber(s) further comprise a continuous polymer component.

Assignees

• Univ Cornell

Inventors

• Joo Yong Lak
• Yin Jun

Classifications

• H01M4/8882

  Heat treatment, e.g. drying, baking · CPC title

• H01M2300/0071

  Oxides · CPC title

• H01M4/92

  Metals of platinum group (H01M4/94 {, H01M4/9058} take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/8853

  Electrodeposition · CPC title