Transparent autophotorechargeable electrochemical device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018175463-A1
Application number	US-201415100107-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 27, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 21, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transparent photorechargeable electrochemical device, to the use of an n-type semiconductor as positive-electrode active material in said transparent photorechargeable electrochemical device, and to a method for photorecharging said device.

First claim

1 . Transparent photorechargeable electrochemical device comprising:
a positive electrode having a transparent conductive carrier on which a positive-electrode film is deposited, said positive-electrode film comprising an n-type semiconductor by way of positive-electrode active material, said n-type semiconductor having a bandgap Eg and being capable of intercalating and deintercalating ions of an alkali metal M1; a negative electrode comprising an element chosen from said alkali metal M1, an alloy of said alkali metal M1, and an intermetallic compound of said alkali metal M1; and a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte comprising a salt of said alkali metal M1 and an organic solvent, said positive and negative electrodes respectively having electrode potentials E1 and E2 where E1>E2, E1 and E2 being calculated versus the electrode potential of the M1 + /M1 0 couple.

2 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal M1 is chosen from lithium, sodium and potassium.

3 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the n-type semiconductor is chosen from metal oxides, metal phosphates, metal sulphates, and metal oxalates, in which the metals are chosen from Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Hg, Rf, Db, Sg, Bh, Hs, Mt, Ds, Rg, Cn and Bi.

4 . Device according to claim 3 , wherein the metals are chosen from Ti, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Sn, Ru, Bi, V, Cr, Cu, Nb, Mo and Zn.

5 . Device according to claim 3 , wherein the metal oxides are chosen from TiO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , Fe 3 O 4 , MnO 2 , CoO, Co 3 O 4 , SnO 2 , RuO 2 , Bi 2 O 3 , VO 2 , V 2 O 5 , Cr 2 O 3 , Nb 2 O 5 and ZnO.

6 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the n-type semiconductor is TiO 2 .

7 . Device according to claim 3 , wherein the metal phosphates are chosen from:
olivines respecting the formula MM′PO 4 , fluorinated, hydroxylated and oxygenated derivatives respecting the formulae M x M″PO 4 F, M x M″PO 4 .OH and M x M″PO 4 .O, carbonophosphates respecting the formula M 3 M′PO 4 CO 3 , and pyrophosphates respecting the formula M x M′P 2 O 7 ,
in which M=Li or Na, M′=Fe, Co, Mn, Ni or a mixture thereof, M″=Fe, Co, Mn, Ni, V or Ti, and x ranges from 0 to 2.

8 . Device according to claim 3 , wherein the metal sulphates are chosen from materials respecting the formulae M′ 2 (SO 4 ) 3 , MM″SO 4 F and M x M″OSO 4 , in which M=Li or Na, M′=Fe, Co, Mn, Ni or a mixture thereof, and M″=Fe, Co, Mn, Ni, V or Ti.

9 . Device according to claim 3 , wherein the metal oxides are chosen from compounds respecting the formula M 2 M′(C 2 O 4 ) 2 , in which M=Li or Na and M′=Fe, Co, Mn, Ni or a mixture thereof.

10 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the n-type semiconductor has a bandgap Eg of at most 4.0 eV.

11 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the n-type semiconductor comprises particles of diameter ranging from 2 to 50 nm.

12 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the n-type semiconductor has a specific surface area measured by the B.E.T method ranging from 20 m 2 /g to 500 m 2 /g.

13 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the positive-electrode film has a porous structure comprising at least mesopores.

14 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the positive-electrode film furthermore comprises at least one dye and/or at least one reflector of light.

15 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the transparent conductive carrier is a transparent conductive glass of FTO type, of ITO type or of ZITO type.

16 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the positive-electrode film has a thickness ranging from 0.1 to 25 μm.

17 . Method for photorecharging a transparent photorechargeable electrochemical device such as defined in claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
i) exposing said device, preferably on the side of said device comprising said positive electrode, to a source of light waves for at least 30 minutes, and preferably for at least 1 hour, in order to obtain said recharged device.

18 . Method for recharging in the dark a transparent photorechargeable electrochemical device such as defined in claim 1 , said method comprising the steps of:
i′) exposing said device, preferably on the side of said device comprising said positive electrode, to a source of light waves for at least 10 hours; ii′) using the device of step i′) to power an electrical apparatus; and iii′) letting the device of step ii′) relax in the dark for at least 6 hours, in order to obtain said recharged device.

19 . A transparent photorechargeable electrochemical device, said device comprising:
an n-type semiconductor as positive-electrode active material as defined in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Centre Nat Rech Scient
• Univ Picardie
• Univ Pierre Et Marie Curie Paris 6

Inventors

• Sauvage Frederic
• Andriamiadamanana Christian
• Laberty Christel

Classifications

• H01M4/483

  for non-aqueous cells (H01M4/485 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M14/005

  Photoelectrochemical storage cells (light sensitive devices H01G9/20, semiconductors sensitive to light H10F) · CPC title

• H01M4/5825

  Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines · CPC title

• H01M4/523

  for non-aqueous cells (H01M4/525 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/505

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title