Scaffolding matrix with internal nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11101458-B2
Application number	US-201916419806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	Aug 24, 2012
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A battery electrode composition is provided comprising composite particles, with each composite particle comprising active material and a scaffolding matrix. The active material is provided to store and release ions during battery operation. For certain active materials of interest, the storing and releasing of the ions causes a substantial change in volume of the active material. The scaffolding matrix is provided as a porous, electrically-conductive scaffolding matrix within which the active material is disposed. In this way, the scaffolding matrix structurally supports the active material, electrically interconnects the active material, and accommodates the changes in volume of the active material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A battery electrode composition comprising composite particles, each composite particle comprising:
active material provided to electrochemically react with ions during battery operation; and
a porous, electrically-conductive scaffolding matrix within which the active material is disposed,
wherein the scaffolding matrix is a monolithic particle that electrically interconnects the active material, and
wherein the scaffolding matrix comprises one or more micropores with an average pore size below about 2 nm and one or more mesopores with an average pore size between about 2 nm to about 50 nm.

2. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical reaction between the active material and the ions causes a change in volume of the active material by greater than about 10%.

3. The battery electrode composition of claim 2 , wherein the scaffolding matrix at least partially accommodates the change in volume of the active material.

4. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , further comprising:
a binder attached to at least part of the scaffolding matrix.

5. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein an average particle size of the active material is in a range of about 3 nm to about 100 nm.

6. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein an average pore size of pores in the scaffolding matrix is in a range from about 0.4 nm to about 50 nm.

7. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the scaffolding matrix comprises one or more mesopores with a total pore volume in excess of 0.05 cc/g of the scaffolding matrix.

8. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein an average particle size of the active material is in a range of about 0.1% to about 50% of the composite particle.

9. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the active material exhibits a melting point that is greater than about 600° C.

10. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the ions comprise one or more of Li, Na, Mg, or Ca.

11. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , each composite particle further comprising a shell at least partially encasing the active material and the scaffolding matrix, the shell being permeable to the ions that electrochemically react with the active material.

12. The battery electrode composition of claim 11 , wherein the shell has an average thickness between about 1 nm to about 50 nm.

13. The battery electrode composition of claim 11 , wherein the shell comprises a polymer.

14. The battery electrode composition of claim 11 , wherein the shell changes in volume by less than about 10% during the electrochemical reaction between the active material and the ions.

15. The battery electrode composition of claim 11 , wherein the shell comprises a protective layer formed from a material that is impermeable to electrolyte solvent molecules.

16. The battery electrode composition of claim 11 ,
wherein the battery electrode composition is for an anode, and
wherein a portion of the active material that is disposed in the shell exhibits a capacity that is less than about 400 mAh/g.

17. The battery electrode composition of claim 11 ,
wherein the battery electrode composition is for a cathode, and
wherein a portion of the active material that is disposed in the shell exhibits a capacity that is less than about 250 mAh/g.

18. The battery electrode composition of claim 11 , wherein the shell is a composite material comprising an inner layer and an outer layer.

19. The battery electrode composition of claim 18 , wherein the inner layer is a porous layer having a smaller average pore size than the scaffolding matrix, and wherein the outer layer is (i) a protective layer formed from a material that is impermeable to electrolyte solvent molecules or (ii) an active material layer formed from an active material that is different from the active material disposed within the scaffolding matrix.

20. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , each composite particle further comprising external channel pores extending from an outer surface of the scaffolding matrix towards the center of the scaffolding matrix, providing channels for faster diffusion of the ions into the active material disposed within the scaffolding matrix by reducing the average diffusion distance of the ions.

21. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein a change in volume of the active material during battery operation exceeds a corresponding change in volume of the scaffolding matrix by more than about 100%.

22. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the active material comprises heavily doped, doped or undoped Si, In, Sn, Sb, Ge, Mg, their alloys with other metals and/or semimetals, or any combination thereof.

23. The battery electrode composition of claim 22 , wherein the active material comprises Si.

24. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the active material compromises one or more metals, metal oxides, metal fluorides, metal oxy-fluorides, metal phosphides, metal sulfides or any combination thereof.

25. A cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch battery, comprising:
the battery electrode composition of claim 1 .

26. The battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the scaffolding matrix comprises carbon that is doped with one or more additional elements.

27. A battery electrode composition comprising composite particles, each composite particle comprising:
active material provided to electrochemically react with ions during battery operation; and
a porous, electrically-conductive scaffolding matrix within which the active material is disposed,
wherein the scaffolding matrix is a monolithic particle that electrically interconnects the active material, and
wherein the average pore size of the pores in the scaffolding matrix is in a range from about 0.5 nm to about 5 nm.

28. A method of fabricating a battery electrode composition comprising composite particles, the method comprising:
providing an active material to electrochemically react with ions during battery operation; and
forming a porous, electrically-conductive scaffolding matrix as a monolithic particle within which the active material is disposed,
wherein the scaffolding matrix electrically interconnects the active material, and
wherein the scaffolding matrix comprises one or more micropores with an average pore size below about 2 nm and one or more mesopores with an average pore size between about 2 nm to about 50 nm.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the forming comprises:
coagulating, in a solution or a suspension, active nanoparticles comprising the active material with polymer precursor nanoparticles; and
annealing the coagulated solution or suspension to form the composite particles.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the forming comprises:
infiltrating precursor nanoparticles into the scaffolding matrix; and
converting the precursor nanoparticles into the active material.

31. The method of claim 28 , wherein forming the scaffolding matrix further comprises infiltration of the active material into the scaffolding matrix by (i) chemical vapor deposition, (ii) solution infiltration followed by solvent evaporation, (iii) solution infiltration followed by solvent evaporation and annealing

Assignees

• Sila Nanotechnologies Inc

Inventors

• Yushin Gleb
• Zdyrko Bogdan
• Shelton Addison
• Berdichevsky Eugene
• Luzinov Igor
• Jacobs Alexander
• Hantsoo Eerik
• Gomes George

Classifications

• H01M4/624

  Electric conductive fillers · CPC title

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M4/625

  Carbon or graphite · CPC title

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/0569

  characterised by the solvents · CPC title