Scaffolding matrix with internal nanoparticles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11411212-B2
Application number	US-202217691997-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2022
Priority date	Aug 24, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

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 Li-ion battery anode composition, comprising:
a higher-capacity composite particle comprising:
a silicon-comprising active material that is electrochemically reactive with Li-ions during battery operation; and
a porous scaffolding matrix within which the silicon-comprising active material is partially disposed, the porous scaffolding matrix electrically interconnecting the silicon-comprising active material; and

a lower-capacity material comprising an intercalation-type material,
wherein the lower-capacity material has a capacity of about 400 mAh/g or less.

2. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the intercalation-type material comprises graphitic carbon.

3. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the lower-capacity material is at least a portion of a shell at least partially encasing the silicon-comprising active material, the shell being permeable to the Li-ions.

4. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the lower-capacity material has a higher rate capability than the higher-capacity composite particle.

5. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the porous scaffolding matrix comprises a monolithic particle.

6. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the porous scaffolding matrix comprises one or more micropores with a first pore size below 2 nm and one or more mesopores with a second pore size between 2 nm and 50 nm.

7. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 6 , wherein the porous scaffolding matrix comprises 0.05 cc/g or larger volume of the one or more mesopores.

8. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the porous scaffolding matrix is a porous carbon particle.

9. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the higher-capacity composite particle is doped with nitrogen.

10. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein:
an electrochemical reaction between the silicon-comprising active material and the Li-ions causes a change in volume of the silicon-comprising active material; and
the porous scaffolding matrix at least partially accommodates the change in volume of the silicon-comprising active material.

11. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein:
an average particle size of the silicon active material is in a range of about 3 nm to about 100 nm.

12. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein:
an average size of pores in the porous scaffolding matrix is in a range of about 0.4 nm to about 50 nm.

13. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the higher-capacity composite particle is at least partially coated with a shell layer encasing the silicon-comprising active material and the porous scaffolding matrix.

14. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 13 , wherein:
the shell layer comprises carbon.

15. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 13 , wherein:
the shell layer comprises a polymer.

16. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 13 , wherein:
the shell layer comprises an inner layer and an outer layer, each at least partially encasing the silicon-comprising active material and the porous scaffolding matrix.

17. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein:
an average particle size of the silicon-comprising active material in at least some of the higher-capacity composite particles is in a range of about 0.1% to about 50% of the respective higher-capacity composite particle.

18. A Li-ion battery, comprising:
an anode comprising the Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 ;
a cathode; and
an electrolyte interposed between the anode and the cathode.

19. The Li-ion battery of claim 18 , wherein:
the electrolyte comprises a carbonate solvent composition.

20. The Li-ion battery of claim 19 , wherein:
the carbonate solvent composition comprises ethylene carbonate and/or fluoroethylene carbonate.

21. A method of making a Li-ion battery anode composition, the method comprising:
forming a higher-capacity composite particle comprising:
a silicon-comprising active material that is electrochemically reactive with Li-ions during battery operation; and
a porous scaffolding matrix within which the silicon-comprising active material is partially disposed, the porous scaffolding matrix electrically interconnecting the silicon-comprising active material; and
forming a shell at least partially encasing the silicon-comprising active material, the shell comprising a lower-capacity material comprising an intercalation-type material, the shell being permeable to the Li-ions;
wherein the lower-capacity material has a capacity of about 400 mAh/g or less.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the intercalation-type material comprises graphitic carbon.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the lower-capacity material has a higher rate capability than the higher-capacity composite particle.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein the porous scaffolding matrix comprises a monolithic particle.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein the porous scaffolding matrix comprises one or more micropores with a first pore size below 2 nm and one or more mesopores with a second pore size between 2 nm and 50 nm.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the porous scaffolding matrix comprises 0.05 cc/g or larger volume of the one or more mesopores.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein the porous scaffolding matrix is a porous carbon particle.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein the higher-capacity composite particle is doped with nitrogen.

29. The method of claim 21 , wherein:
an average particle size of the silicon active material is in a range of about 3 nm to about 100 nm.

30. The method of claim 21 , wherein:
an average size of pores in the porous scaffolding matrix is in a range of about 0.4 nm to about 50 nm.

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

• H01M4/366

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M4/38

  of elements or alloys · CPC title