Battery electrode and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017194630-A1
Application number	US-201515313510-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	May 22, 2014
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A silicon based micro-structured material and methods are shown. In one example, the silicon based micro-structured material is used as an electrode in a battery, such as a lithium ion battery, we have successfully demonstrated the first synthesis of a scalable carbon-coated silicon nanofiber paper for next generation binderless free-standing electrodes for Li-ion batteries that will significantly increase total capacity at the cell level. The excellent electrochemical performance coupled with the high degree of scalability rriake this material an idea candidate for next-generation anodes for electric vehicle applications. C-coated SiNF paper electrodes offer a highly feasible alternative to the traditional slurry-based approach to Li-ion battery electrodes through the elimination of carbon black, polymer binders, and metallic current collectors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery, comprising:
a first electrode, including:
a number of porous silicon fibers;
a conductive coating covering a surface portion of the porous silicon fibers;
a second electrode; and an electrolyte in contact with both the first electrode and the second electrode.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the number of porous silicon fibers have a characteristic dimension smaller than approximately 150 nm.

3 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the conductive coating includes carbon.

4 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode includes lithium metal.

5 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte includes a mixture of ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate.

6 . A method of forming a battery electrode, comprising:
reducing a silicon oxide fiber structure; etching the reduced silicon oxide fiber structure to form a porous silicon fiber structure; and forming a conductive coating over a surface of the porous silicon fiber structure.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein reducing a silicon oxide fiber structure include magnesiothermically reducing the silicon oxide fiber structure.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein etching the reduced silicon oxide fiber structure includes selective etching of magnesium oxide sites after magnesiothermic reduction.

9 . The method of claim 6 , wherein forming a conductive coating includes pyrolizing an amorphous carbon coating over the surface of the porous silicon.

10 . A method of forming a battery electrode, comprising:
electrospinning a silicon oxide fiber structure; reducing the silicon oxide fiber structure; etching the reduced silicon oxide fiber structure to form a porous silicon fiber structure; and forming a conductive coating over a surface of the porous silicon fiber structure.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein electrospinning the silicon oxide fiber structure includes electrospinning a TEOS solution to form a silicon oxide fiber structure.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein electrospinning the silicon oxide fiber structure includes electrospinning a planar silicon oxide paper on a collector plate.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Ozkan Cengiz S
• Ozkan Mihrimah
• Favors Zachary

Classifications

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M4/386

  Silicon or alloys based on silicon · CPC title

• H01M4/0469

  Electroforming a self-supporting electrode; Electroforming of powdered electrode material · CPC title

• H01M2004/021

  Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area · CPC title

• H01M4/382

  Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence) · CPC title