Nickel nanostructure electrode and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10964942-B2
Application number	US-201716316221-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2017
Priority date	Jul 8, 2016
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A nickel based micro-structured material and methods are shown. In one example, the nickel based micro-structured material is used as an electrode in a battery, such as a lithium ion battery. One specific example shown includes NiO-decorated Ni nanowires with diameters around 30-150 nm derived from Ni wire backbone (around 2 μm in diameter). In one specific example, The NiO nanowire foam can be manufactured with bio-friendly chemicals and low temperature processes without an templates, binders and conductive additives, which possesses the potential transferring from lab scale to industrial production.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery, comprising:
a first electrode, including:
a nickel substrate;
a number of nickel oxide fibers coupled to the nickel substrate, wherein the nickel oxide fibers are coupled to nickel fibers that are in turn coupled to the nickel substrate;
a second electrode; and
an electrolyte in contact with both the first electrode and the second electrode.

2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the nickel substrate includes a nickel foam.

3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is configured as an anode.

4. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode includes lithium metal.

5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes LiPF 6 .

6. A method of forming a battery electrode, comprising:
attaching a number of first nickel fibers to a nickel substrate;
etching the number of first nickel fibers to form second nickel oxalate fibers on the first nickel fibers;
reducing the second nickel oxalate fibers to form second nickel fibers on the first nickel fibers; and
oxidizing the second nickel fibers to form second nickel oxide fibers coupled to the nickel substrate.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein attaching the number of first nickel fibers to the nickel substrate includes attaching to a nickel foam.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein reducing the second nickel oxalate fibers includes reducing in hydrogen.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein oxidizing the second nickel fibers includes oxidizing in air.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Ozkan Cengiz S
• Ozkan Mihrimah

Classifications

• 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

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• H01M4/808

  Foamed, spongy materials · CPC title

• H01M10/0568

  characterised by the solutes · CPC title

• H01M4/661

  Metal or alloys, e.g. alloy coatings (H01M4/669 take precedence) · CPC title