Nanocomposite battery electrode particles with changing properties

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11855280-B2
Application number	US-202318154368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2023
Priority date	Oct 14, 2014
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

Battery electrode compositions and methods of fabrication are provided that utilize composite particles. Each of the composite particles may comprise, for example, a high-capacity active material and a porous, electrically-conductive scaffolding matrix material. The active material may store and release ions during battery operation, and may exhibit (i) a specific capacity of at least 220 mAh/g as a cathode active material or (ii) a specific capacity of at least 400 mAh/g as an anode active material. The active material may be disposed in the pores of the scaffolding matrix material. According to various designs, each composite particle may exhibit at least one material property that changes from the center to the perimeter of the scaffolding matrix material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A Li-ion battery anode composition, comprising:
a composite particle, comprising:
a high-capacity active material capable of storing and releasing Li ions during battery operation, the high-capacity active material exhibiting a specific capacity of at least about 400 mAh/g; and
a porous, electrically conductive scaffolding matrix material, the high-capacity active material being disposed in one or more pores thereof; and

wherein:
the composite particle includes a first region from the center to a first radius that is halfway to a perimeter of the scaffolding matrix material and a second region from the first radius to a second radius at the perimeter the scaffolding matrix material;
the high-capacity active material is more highly concentrated in the first region than in the second region.

2. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the composite particle further comprises:
a low-capacity active material capable of storing and releasing Li ions during battery operation, the low-capacity active material exhibiting a specific capacity smaller than that of the high-capacity active material,
wherein the low-capacity active material is disposed in the one or more pores, and
wherein the low-capacity active material is more highly concentrated in the second region than in the first region.

3. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 2 , wherein the low-capacity active material comprises partially oxidized silicon.

4. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 2 , wherein the low-capacity active material comprises carbon.

5. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the high-capacity active material is more highly concentrated in the first region than the second region in terms of density, weight fraction, volume fraction, or any combination thereof.

6. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the high-capacity active material undergoes volume changes during battery operation greater than about 8%.

7. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the high-capacity active material comprises silicon or a silicon alloy.

8. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the scaffolding matrix material exhibits electrical conductivity in excess of about 10 −2 S/m.

9. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein a diffusion coefficient for Li-ion transport within the scaffolding matrix material exceeds about 10 −9 cm 2 /s.

10. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the high-capacity active material exhibits a melting point above about 250° C.

11. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the composite particle exhibits a surface roughness characterized by a peak-to-valley difference in a range of about 1 nm to about 500 nm.

12. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the scaffolding matrix material comprises carbon.

13. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein the composite particle additionally comprises an ionically-conductive sealing material that seals at least the high-capacity active material.

14. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 13 , wherein the ionically-conductive sealing material is substantially permeable to the Li ions stored and released during battery operation.

15. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 13 , wherein the ionically-conductive sealing material comprises one or more of a polymer, a ceramic, and a carbon.

16. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 13 , wherein an average thickness of the ionically-conductive sealing material is in a range of about 3 nm to about 60 nm.

17. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein a density of the composite particle varies between the first region and the second region.

18. The Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 , wherein a porosity of the composite particle varies between the first region and the second region.

19. A Li-ion battery, comprising:
a cathode;
an anode comprising the Li-ion battery anode composition of claim 1 ; and
an electrolyte ionically coupling the anode and the cathode, the electrolyte comprising Li ions and an electrolyte solvent.

20. The Li-ion battery of claim 19 , wherein:
the anode additionally comprises an ionically-conductive sealing material that seals at least the high-capacity active material;
the ionically-conductive sealing material is substantially permeable to the Li ions in the electrolyte; and
the ionically-conductive sealing material acts as a barrier between the high-capacity active material and the electrolyte solvent.

Assignees

• Sila Nanotechnologies Inc

Inventors

• Yushin Gleb
• Berdichevsky Eugene Michael
• Jacobs Alexander Thomas
• Nese Alper
• Harris Damian
• Zdyrko Bogdan

Classifications

• H01M2004/027

  Negative electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/388 Primary

  Halogens · CPC title

• H01M4/13

  Electrodes for accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte, e.g. for lithium-accumulators; Processes of manufacture thereof · CPC title

• H01M4/362 Primary

  Composites · CPC title

• H01M4/386

  Silicon or alloys based on silicon · CPC title