Electrochemical exchange for the fabrication of a layered anode material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11978880-B2
Application number	US-202117335972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2021
Priority date	Jun 1, 2021
Publication date	May 7, 2024
Grant date	May 7, 2024

Abstract

A method for forming a layered anode material includes contacting a precursor material and a first electrolyte. The precursor material is a layered ionic compound represented by MX 2 , where M is one of calcium and magnesium and X is one of silicon, germanium, and boron. The method further includes applying a first bias and/or current as the precursor material contacts the first electrolyte to remove cations from the precursor material to create a two-dimensional structure that defines the layered anode material. In certain variations, the method further includes contacting the two-dimensional structure and a second electrolyte and applying a second bias and/or current as the two-dimensional structure contacts the second electrolyte so as to cause lithium ions to move into interlayer spaces or voids created in the two-dimensional structure by the removal of the cations thereby forming the layered anode material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a layered anode material, the method comprising:
removing cations from a precursor material using electrochemical extraction, the precursor material being a layered ionic compound and removal of the cations creating a two-dimensional structure that defines the layered anode material, the removing of the cations from the precursor material comprising:
contacting the precursor material and a first electrolyte, and
applying a first bias and/or current as the precursor material contacts the first electrolyte; and

prelithiating the two-dimensional structure, the prelithiating of the two-dimensional structure including
contacting the two-dimensional structure and a second electrolyte, and
applying a second bias and/or current as the two-dimensional structure contacts the second electrolyte so as to cause lithium ions (Li + ) to move into interlayer spaces or voids created by the removal of the cations.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor material is represented by MX 2 , where M is one of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and X is one of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and boron (B), and the precursor material includes alternating layers of M and X.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first electrolyte is different from the second electrolyte and the first bias and/or current is different from the second bias and/or current.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second electrolyte comprises a lithium source.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor material is disposed in an electronically conductive, liquid permeable cage and contacting the precursor material and the electrolyte comprises disposing the electronically conductive, liquid permeable cage in the electrolyte.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor material is disposed on a current collector and contacting the precursor material and the electrolyte comprises using one or more rollers to dispose the precursor material and the current collector in the electrolyte.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor material is disposed on a current collector and contacting the precursor material and the electrolyte comprises using one or more rollers to dispose the precursor material and the current collector in the electrolyte.

8. A method for forming a layered anode material, the method comprises:
removing cations from a precursor material using electrochemical extraction, wherein the precursor material is a layered ionic compound and removal of the cations creates a two-dimensional structure comprising a plurality of interlayer spaces or voids created by the removal of the cation;
contacting the two-dimensional structure and an electrolyte; and
applying a bias and/or current as the two-dimensional structure contacts the electrolyte so as to cause lithium ions (Li + ) to move into the interlayer spaces or voids created by the removal of the cations thereby forming the layered anode material.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the precursor material is represented by MX 2 , where M is one of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and X is one of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and boron (B).

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the electrolyte is a first electrolyte and the bias and/or current is a first bias and/or current, and wherein removing the cations from the precursor material comprises:
contacting the precursor material and a second electrolyte, and
applying a second bias and/or current as the precursor material contacts the second electrolyte.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the precursor material is disposed in an electronically conductive, liquid permeable cage and contacting the precursor material and the second electrolyte comprises disposing the electronically conductive, liquid permeable cage in the second electrolyte, and
wherein contacting the two-dimensional structure and the first electrolyte comprises subsequently disposing the electronically conductive, liquid permeable cage in the first electrolyte.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the precursor material is disposed on a current collector and contacting the precursor material and the second electrolyte comprises using one or more first rollers to dispose the precursor material and the current collector in the second electrolyte, and
wherein contacting the two-dimensional structure and the first electrolyte comprises using one or more second rollers to subsequently dispose the two-dimensional structure and the current collector in the first electrolyte.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the precursor material is disposed on a current collector and contacting the precursor material and the first electrolyte comprises using one or more rollers to dispose the precursor material and the current collector in the first electrolyte, and
wherein contacting the two-dimensional structure and the second electrolyte comprises using one or more second rollers to subsequently dispose the two-dimensional structure and the current collector in the second electrolyte.

14. A method for forming a layered anode material, the method comprises:
contacting a precursor material and a first electrolyte, wherein the precursor material is a layered ionic compound represented by MX 2 , where M is one of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and X is one of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and boron (B);
applying a first bias and/or current as the precursor material contacts the first electrolyte so as to remove cations from the precursor material creating a two-dimensional structure comprising a plurality of interlayer spaces or voids created by the removal of the cation;
contacting the two-dimensional structure and a second electrolyte; and
applying a second bias and/or current as the two-dimensional structure contacts the second electrolyte so as to cause lithium ions (Li + ) to move into the interlayer spaces or voids created by the removal of the cations thereby forming the layered anode material.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the precursor material is disposed in an electronically conductive, liquid permeable cage and contacting the precursor material and the first electrolyte comprises disposing the electronically conductive, liquid permeable cage in the first electrolyte, and contacting the two-dimensional structure and the second electrolyte comprises subsequently disposing the electronically conductive, liquid permeable cage in the second electrolyte.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Cain Jeffrey David
• Moylan Thomas E
• Mao Leng
• Yu Paul Taichiang
• Pieczonka Nicholas Paul William
• Bobel Andrew Clay

Classifications

• H01M4/0409 Primary

  by a doctor blade method, slip-casting or roller coating · CPC title

• H01M4/0404

  by coating on electrode collectors · CPC title

• H01M4/366 Primary

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M10/0562

  Solid materials · CPC title