Porous silicon nanostructured electrode and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017194632-A1
Application number	US-201515320688-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 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. A battery, comprising: a first electrode, including a number of porous silicon spheres; a second electrode; and an electrolyte in contact with both the first electrode and the second electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery, comprising:
a first electrode, including a number of porous silicon spheres; 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 first electrode further includes carbon nanotubes mixed with the porous silicon spheres.

3 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode further includes approximately 2% by weight carbon nanotubes in carbon black mixed with the porous silicon spheres.

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 LiPF 6 , ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate.

6 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the porous silicon spheres are between approximately 0.05 micrometer and 2.00 micrometer in diameter.

7 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the porous silicon spheres are approximately 200 nanometers in diameter.

8 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the number of porous silicon spheres includes substantially crystalline porous silicon spheres.

9 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the number of porous silicon spheres include a surface area of greater than approximately 200 m 2 g −1 .

10 . A method of forming a battery electrode, comprising:
mixing silicon oxide spheres and sodium chloride; adding a reducing agent; reducing the silicon oxide spheres and sodium chloride mixture to form silicon spheres; and etching the reduced silicon spheres to form a porous silicon sphere.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the silicon oxide spheres are between approximately 0.05 micrometer and 2.00 micrometer in diameter.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the silicon oxide spheres are approximately 200 nanometers in diameter.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the silicon oxide spheres are prepared using the Stober method.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein reducing the silicon oxide spheres and sodium chloride mixture includes magnesiothermically reducing the silicon oxide spheres and sodium chloride mixture.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein mixing silicon oxide spheres and sodium chloride includes mixing silicon oxide spheres and sodium chloride in a ratio of approximately 1:10 silicon oxide to sodium chloride by weight.

16 . The method of claim 11 , further including mixing magnesium powder with the silicon oxide spheres and sodium chloride in a ratio of approximately 1:0.9 silicon oxide to magnesium by weight.

17 . A method of forming a battery electrode, comprising:
mixing silicon oxide nanoparticles and sodium chloride; adding a reducing agent; reducing the silicon oxide nanoparticles and sodium chloride mixture to form silicon nanoparticles in substantially the same geometry as the silicon oxide nanoparticles; and etching the silicon nanoparticles to form porous silicon nanoparticles.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein mixing silicon oxide nanoparticles includes mixing silicon oxide nanospheres.

Assignees

• Wang Wei
• Ozkan Cengiz S
• Ozkan Mihrimah

Inventors

• Wang Wei
• Ozkan Cengiz S
• Ozkan Mihrimah

Classifications

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M2004/021

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

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M10/0568

  characterised by the solutes · CPC title