Solid state catholytes and electrolytes for energy storage devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016006074-A1
Application number	US-201514849466-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 9, 2015
Priority date	May 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention provides an energy storage device comprising a cathode region or other element. The device has a major active region comprising a plurality of first active regions spatially disposed within the cathode region. The major active region expands or contracts from a first volume to a second volume during a period of a charge and discharge. The device has a catholyte material spatially confined within a spatial region of the cathode region and spatially disposed within spatial regions not occupied by the first active regions. The device has a protective material formed overlying exposed regions of the cathode material to substantially maintain the sulfur species within the catholyte material. Also included is a novel dopant configuration of the Li a MP b S c (LMPS) [M=Si,Ge, and/or Sn] containing material.

First claim

1 . An energy storage device comprising a cathode region, the cathode region comprising:
an active material region comprising an active material that expands or contracts from a first volume to a second volume during a period of charge and discharge; a catholyte material spatially confined in spatial regions not occupied by the active material region, wherein the catholyte material comprises:
a lithium element from greater than 30 to 50 atomic % of the catholyte material;
a silicon element from greater than 0 to 10 atomic % of the catholyte material,
a tin element from greater than 0 to 10 atomic % of the catholyte;
a phosphorous element from greater than 5 to 17 atomic % of the catholyte material;
a sulfur element from greater than 35 to 60 atomic % of the catholyte material; and
an oxygen element from greater than 0 to 15 atomic % of the catholyte material,
wherein the Si/(Si+Sn) stoichiometry is from 0.3 to 0.6; and
wherein the catholyte material is characterized by a primary CuKα XRD peak at 2θ=30°±1°, 2θ=33°±1°, or 2θ=43°±1°, and
wherein the oxygen element has a ratio to the sulfur element of 1:2 or less forming a material; and
optionally, a protective material overlaying exposed regions of the active material to substantially maintain the sulfur element within the catholyte material.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen element is less than 10 atomic percent of the material.

3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the active material region is greater than about 50 percent by volume of the cathode region, and wherein the catholyte material is less than about 30 percent by volume of the cathode region.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the active material region is greater than about 45 percent by volume of the cathode region, and wherein the catholyte material is less than about 30 percent by volume of the cathode region.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a polymer material configured within a vicinity of the catholyte material.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the catholyte material comprises a plurality of particles.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the active material region comprises clusters having a median diameter ranging from about 2 μm to about 10 μm.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the catholyte material comprises a plurality of polycrystalline particles interconnected via a necking arrangement, and wherein the particle diameter to neck ratio dimension ranges from 1% to 80% and wherein the cathode region has a porosity of less than 30% of a total volume of the cathode region.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the active material comprises iron and fluorine.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the active material is selected from NCA (nickel cobalt aluminum oxide), LMNO (lithium manganese nickel oxide), LCO (lithium cobalt oxide), nickel fluoride (NiF x , wherein x is from 0 to 2.5), iron fluoride (FeF z , wherein z is from 0 to 3), and copper fluoride (CuF y , wherein y is from 0 to 2.5).

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the catholyte material is selected from Li a (SiSn)P b S c O d wherein 2≦a≦10, 0.5≦b≦2.5, 4≦c≦12, and d≦3.

12 . The device of claim 11 , wherein a is 6 b is 1.5, and c is 7, and d is 1.

13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen element has a ratio to the sulfur element of 1:10 or less.

14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the active material region is greater than 50 percent by volume of the cathode region.

15 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the catholyte material has a room temperature ionic conductivity ranging from 10 −5 to 5×10 −2 S/cm and an electrical conductivity less than 10 −5 S/cm.

16 . The device of claim 15 , wherein the room temperature ionic conductivity ranges from 10 −4 to 10 −2 S/cm.

17 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the catholyte material is characterized by primary Raman peaks at 418±10 cm −1 , 383±10 cm −1 , 286±10 cm −1 , and 1614±10 cm −1 when measured by a Renishaw inVia Raman microscope.

21 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the catholyte material is characterized by a 7 Li NMR peak shift 0.73 ppm.

24 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the catholyte material is characterized by at least one 31 P NMR peak shift ranging from 86-88 ppm, 92-94 ppm, 73-78 ppm, or 108-109.5 ppm.

Assignees

• Quantumscape Corp

Inventors

• Chao Cheng Chieh
• Chen Zhebo
• Holme Tim
• Mayer Marie A
• Riley Jr Gilbert N

Classifications

• C04B35/62645

  Thermal treatment of powders or mixtures thereof other than sintering · CPC title

• C04B2235/3203

  Lithium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title

• C04B2235/446

  Sulfides, tellurides or selenides · CPC title

• C04B35/6261

  Milling · CPC title

• C04B2235/428

  Silicon · CPC title