Methods and electrolytes for electrodeposition of smooth films

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015152566-A1
Application number	US-201514616541-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2015
Priority date	Feb 7, 2012
Publication date	Jun 4, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electrodeposition involving an electrolyte having a surface-smoothing additive can result in self-healing, instead of self-amplification, of initial protuberant tips that give rise to roughness and/or dendrite formation on the substrate and/or film surface. For electrodeposition of a first conductive material (C1) on a substrate from one or more reactants in an electrolyte solution, the electrolyte solution is characterized by a surface-smoothing additive containing cations of a second conductive material (C2), wherein cations of C2 have an effective electrochemical reduction potential in the solution lower than that of the reactants.

First claim

1 . An electrolyte solution for electrodeposition of a first conductive material (C1) on a substrate from one or more reactants in the electrolyte solution, the electrolyte solution characterized by a soluble, surface-smoothing additive comprising cations of a second conductive material (C2), wherein cations of C2 have an effective electrochemical reduction potential in the solution lower than that of the reactants.

2 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein C1 is a metallic material and the reactants comprise cations of C1.

3 . The electrolyte solution of claim 2 , wherein C1 comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, Mg, Al, Sn, Ti, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ag, Pt, Au, and combinations thereof.

4 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein C1 comprises an electronic conductive polymer and the reactants comprise monomers of the polymer.

5 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the cations of C2 are metal cations.

6 . The electrolyte solution of claim 5 , wherein the cations of C2 comprise a metal selected from the group consisting of Cs, Rb, K, Ba, Sr, Ca, Li, and combinations thereof.

7 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the cations of C2 have an activity in solution such that the effective electrochemical reduction potential of cations of C2 is lower than that of the reactants.

8 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the cations of C2 have a concentration in solution such that the effective electrochemical reduction potential of cations of C2 is lower than that of the reactants.

9 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of C2 cations is less than, or equal to, 30% of that of the reactants.

10 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of C2 cations is less than, or equal to, 5% of that of the reactants.

11 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the surface-smoothing additive comprises an anion selected from the group consisting of PF 6 − , AsF 6 − , BF 4 − , N(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 − , N(SO 2 F) 2 − , CF 3 SO 3 − , ClO 4 − , I − , Cl − , OH − , NO 3 − , SO 4 2− and combinations thereof.

12 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is an electrode.

13 . The electrolyte solution of claim 12 , wherein the electrode comprises lithium.

14 . The electrolyte solution of claim 12 , wherein the electrode comprises carbon.

15 . The electrolyte solution of claim 12 , wherein the electrode is an electrode in an energy storage device.

16 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the cations of C2 are not chemically or electrochemically reactive with respect to C1 or the reactants.

17 . The electrolyte solution of claim 1 , wherein the cations of C2 have a standard electrical reduction potential that is greater than the effective electrochemical reduction potential of the reactants.

18 . The electrolyte solution of claim 2 , wherein C1 comprises lithium.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Zhang Jiguang
• Xu Wu
• Graff Gordon L
• Chen Xilin
• Ding Fei
• Shao Yuyan

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• C25D3/56 Primary

  of alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/0452

  from solutions · CPC title

• C25D3/38

  of copper · CPC title

• C25D3/42

  of light metals · CPC title