High performance electrodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10971729-B2
Application number	US-201615775758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 12, 2015
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

Provided herein are high performance direct deposit electrodes that do not require the use of a binder, as well as processes of manufacturing the same by an electrospray process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for manufacturing an electrode directly on a conductive substrate, the electrode comprises a film comprising (a) a plurality of nanostructured inclusions comprising an active material and (b) a first graphenic component comprising a first graphenic web, wherein the nanostructured inclusions are wrapped within the first graphenic web; the process comprising:
a. producing an electrostatically charged plume comprising a plurality of nanoscale particles and/or droplets from a fluid stock by:
i. providing the fluid stock to a first inlet of a first conduit of an electrospray nozzle, the first conduit being enclosed along the length of the conduit by a wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the first conduit having a first outlet, and the fluid stock comprising a nanostructured inclusion comprising an active material, a graphene oxide, and water, the graphene oxide containing a sulfur atom or sulfur containing compound;
ii. providing a pressurized gas to a second inlet of a second conduit of the nozzle, thereby providing high velocity gas at a second outlet of the second conduit, the high velocity gas having a velocity of about 5 m/s or more, the second conduit being enclosed along the length of the conduit by a second wall having an interior surface, the second conduit having a second inlet and a second outlet, the second conduit having a second diameter, and the first conduit being positioned inside the second conduit, the exterior surface of the first wall and the interior surface of the second wall being separated by a conduit gap; and
iii. providing a voltage to the nozzle, the voltage providing an electric field; and

b. collecting a deposition on the substrate, the deposition comprising (a) a nanostructured inclusion comprising an active material and (b) a second graphenic component, the first and second graphenic components being the same or different.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the deposition is a thin layer deposition having a thickness of about 200 microns or less.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein water is acidic, having a pH of 1 to 5.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the active material is a silicon material.

5. The process of claim 4 , wherein the silicon material comprises SiOx, wherein x is 0 to about 1.5.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the silicon material is present in a composite comprising the silicon material and carbon.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the composite is a nanofiber comprising a carbon matrix with the silicon material embedded therein.

8. The process of claim 4 , wherein the silicon material is silicon nanoparticles.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the active material is a tin material.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the second graphenic component is reduced graphene oxide.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the nanostructured inclusion comprising the active material to the graphene oxide in the fluid stock is about 1:1 to about 1000:1.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the nanostructured inclusion comprising the active material in the fluid stock is about 0.1 wt. % to about 25 wt.%.

13. The process of claim 1 , further comprising thermally annealing the deposition to a temperature of at least 100° C.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the process comprises annealing the deposition to a temperature of 150° C. to 350° C.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the film comprises a first structure including a plurality of active material nanostructures wrapped and/or secured within a web of the graphenic material and a second structure including a plurality of active material nanostructures wrapped and/or secured within a web of the graphenic material, and wherein the first structure stacks on the second structure to form a layered structure.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the voltage to the nozzle is provided to the wall of the first conduit.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the voltage provides an electric field at the first outlet.

Assignees

• Univ Cornell
• Dongjin Semichem Co Ltd

Inventors

• Joo Yong Lak
• Fei Ling
• Park Sunchan
• Gong Seon Yeong

Classifications

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title

• H01M4/386

  Silicon or alloys based on silicon · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/0469

  Electroforming a self-supporting electrode; Electroforming of powdered electrode material · CPC title

• H01M4/1395 Primary

  of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title