Electrodes for energy storage devices and methods for their preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016285085-A1
Application number	US-201514666058-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 23, 2015
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electrodes that include at least one active material layer, and at least one graphitized carbon structure layer are disclosed. The active material layer may include an active metal ion complex. The at least one active material layer may form an active material stack that includes a positive active material layer, a negative active material layer, and an electrolyte layer disposed between the positive active material layer and the negative active material layer. The electrode may be configured as an energy storage structure. The energy storage structure may include a first graphitized carbon structure layer, a second graphitized carbon structure layer, and an active material stack disposed between the first graphitized carbon structure layer and the second graphitized carbon structure layer. Methods of making energy storage structures are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrode comprising:
at least one active material layer comprising an active metal ion complex; and at least one graphitized carbon structure layer.

2 . The electrode of claim 1 , further comprising a layer of carbon nanotubes disposed between the active material layer and the graphitized carbon structure layer.

3 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the active metal ion complex comprises a redox couple and at least one ligand.

4 . The electrode of claim 3 , the active metal ion complex further comprises at least one counter ion.

5 . The electrode of claim 4 , wherein the at least one counter ion comprises BF 4− , CL, Br − , CF 3 SO 3 − , Na + , K + , Li + , Cs + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , PF 6 − , ClO 3 − , NO 3 − , C 7 H 5 O 3 − , or any combination thereof.

6 . The electrode of claim 3 , wherein the redox couple comprises Co 3+ /Co 2+ , Pb 4+ /Pb 2+ , Ce 4+ /Ce 3+ , Tl 3+ /Tl + , Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ , Zn 2+ /Zn(s), Fe 2+ /Fe(s), Cr 3+ /Cr 2+ , V 3+ /V 2+ , V 4+ /V 5+ , Cu/Cu 2+ , Li/Li + , Ni 2+ /Ni(s), or any combination thereof.

7 . The electrode of claim 3 , wherein the at least one ligand comprises methanolamine, ethanolamine, di-ethanesulfonate, x-methanesulfonate, x-Trifluoromethane sulfonate, thiocyanate, or any combination thereof.

8 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the graphitized carbon structure layer comprises graphitized poly-acrylonitrile fibers, vapor-grown carbon fibers, pyrolytic carbon nanotubes, carbon aerogels, graphitized activated carbon fibers, exfoliated graphite, graphene, or any combination thereof.

9 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the graphitized carbon structure layer has a porosity of about 5% to about 99% by volume.

10 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the graphitized carbon structure layer is substantially non-porous.

11 . An energy storage structure comprising:
a first graphitized carbon structure layer; a second graphitized carbon structure layer; and a first active material stack disposed between the first graphitized carbon structure layer and the second graphitized carbon structure layer; wherein the first active material stack comprises:
a first positive active material layer;
a first negative active material layer; and
a first electrolyte layer disposed between the first positive active material layer and the first negative active material layer.

12 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , further comprising a first layer of carbon nanotubes disposed between the first active material stack and the first graphitized carbon structure layers, a second layer of carbon nanotubes disposed between the first active material stack and the second graphitized carbon structure layers, or both.

13 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , wherein one or both of the first graphitized carbon structure layer and the second graphitized carbon structure layer comprise graphitized poly-acrylonitrile fibers, vapor-grown carbon fibers, pyrolytic carbon nanotubes, carbon aerogels, graphitized activated carbon fibers, exfoliated graphite, or any combination thereof.

14 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , wherein one or both of the first graphitized carbon structure layer and the second graphitized carbon structure layer have a thickness of about 5 μm to about 200 μm.

15 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , wherein one or both of the first graphitized carbon structure layer and the second graphitized carbon structure layer have a porosity of about 5% to about 99%.

16 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , wherein one or both of the first graphitized carbon structure layer and the second graphitized carbon structure layer are substantially non-porous.

17 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , wherein one or both of the first positive active material layer and the first negative active material layer have a thickness of about 50 μm to about 5000 μm.

18 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , wherein the first positive active material layer and the first negative active material layer have a combined volume of about 60% to about 85% of the total volume of the energy storing structure.

19 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , wherein the first electrolyte layer has a thickness of about 1 μm to about 50 μm.

20 . The energy storage structure of claim 11 , further comprising at least a second active material stack disposed between the second graphitized carbon structure layer and a third graphitized carbon structure layer, wherein the second active material stack comprises:
a second positive active material layer; a second negative active material layer; and a second electrolyte layer disposed between the second positive active material layer and the second negative active material layer.

21 . The energy storage structure of claim 20 , wherein the third graphitized carbon structure layer comprises graphitized poly-acrylonitrile fibers, vapor-grown carbon fibers, pyrolytic carbon nanotubes, carbon aerogels, graphitized activated carbon fibers, exfoliated graphite, or any combination thereof.

22 . The energy storage structure of claim 20 , wherein the third graphitized carbon structure layer has a thickness of about 5 μm to about 200 μm.

23 . The energy storage structure of claim 20 , wherein the third graphitized carbon structure layer has a porosity of about 5% to about 99%.

24 . The energy storage structure of claim 20 , wherein the third graphitized carbon structure layer is substantially non-porous.

25 . The energy storage structure of claim 20 , wherein one or both of the second positive active material layer and the second negative active material layer have a thickness of about 50 μm to about 5000 μm.

26 . The energy storage structure of claim 20 , wherein the second positive active material layer and the second negative active material layer have a combined volume of about 60% to about 85% of the total volume of the energy storage structure.

27 . The energy storage structure of claim 20 , wherein the second electrolyte layer has a thickness of about 5 μm to about 40 μm.

28 . The energy storage structure of claim 20 , further comprising two current collectors adjacent to two outer graphitized carbon structure layers.

29 . A method of making an energy storage structure, the method comprising:
forming a first graphitized carbon structure layer; disposing a first active material stack over the first graphitized carbon structure layer, wherein the first active material stack comprises:
a first positive active material layer;
a first negative active material layer; and
a first electrolyte layer disposed between the first positive active material layer and the first negative active material layer; and
disposing a second graphitized carbon structure layer over the first active material stack.

30 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising:
disposing a first layer of carbon nanotubes on the first graphitized carbon structure layer before disposing the first active material stack; and disposing a second layer of carbon nanotubes on the first active material stack before disposing the second graphitized carbon structure layer.

31 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the first graphitized carbon structure layer is formed on a f

Assignees

• Empire Technology Dev Llc

Inventors

• Madden Thomas
• Rothfuss Christopher J

Classifications

• H01M4/0407

  by coating on an electrolyte layer · CPC title

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title

• H01M4/136

  Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy · CPC title

• H01M4/366 Primary

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M4/1393

  of electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx · CPC title