High performance electrodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018331365-A1
Application number	US-201615775758-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 10, 2016
Priority date	Nov 12, 2015
Publication date	Nov 15, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided herein are high performance direct deposit electrodes that do not require the use of a binder, as well as processes of manufacturing the same by an electrospray process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A process for manufacturing an electrode directly on a conductive substrate, the electrode comprising (a) a nanostructured inclusion comprising an active material and (b) a first graphenic component, the process comprising:
a. producing an electrostatically charged plume comprising a plurality of nanoscale particles and/or droplets from a fluid stock by:
i. providing the fluid stock to a first inlet of a first conduit of an electrospray nozzle, the first conduit being enclosed along the length of the conduit by a wall having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the first conduit having a first outlet, and the fluid stock comprising a nanostructured inclusion comprising an active material, a graphene oxide, and water, the graphene oxide containing a sulfur atom or sulfur containing compound;
ii. providing a pressurized gas to a second inlet of a second conduit of the nozzle, thereby providing high velocity gas at a second outlet of the second conduit, the high velocity gas having a velocity of about 5 m/s or more, the second conduit being enclosed along the length of the conduit by a second wall having an interior surface, the second conduit having a second inlet and a second outlet, the second conduit having a second diameter, and the first conduit being positioned inside the second conduit, the exterior surface of the first wall and the interior surface of the second wall being separated by a conduit gap; and
iii. providing a voltage to the nozzle (e.g., wall of the first conduit), the voltage providing an electric field (e.g., at the first outlet); and
b. collecting a deposition on the substrate, the deposition comprising (a) a nanostructured inclusion comprising an active material and (b) a second graphenic component, the first and second graphenic components being the same or different.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the deposition is a thin layer deposition having a thickness of about 200 microns or less.

3 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein water is acidic, having a pH of 1 to 5.

4 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the active material is a silicon material.

5 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the silicon material comprises SiO x , wherein ×is 0 to about 1.5.

6 . The process of either one of claim 4 or 5 , wherein the silicon material is present in a composite comprising the silicon material and carbon.

7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein the composite is a nanofiber comprising a carbon matrix with the silicon material embedded therein.

8 . The process of any one of claims 4 - 7 , wherein the nanostructured silicon material is silicon nanoparticles.

9 . The process of any one of claims 1 - 3 , wherein the active material is a tin material.

10 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first graphenic component is reduced graphene oxide is graphene oxide.

11 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the weight ratio of the nanostructured inclusion comprising the active material to the graphene oxide in the fluid stock is about 1:1 to about 1000:1, preferably about 2:1.

12 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the concentration of the nanostructured inclusion comprising the active material in the fluid stock is about 0.1 wt. % to about 25 wt. %, preferably 2 wt. %

13 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrode comprises a film comprising the nanostructured inclusions coated or wrapped with the first graphenic component, the first graphenic component comprising a first graphenic web.

14 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid stock is agitated prior to being provided to the first inlet.

15 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first diameter is about 0.05 mm to about 5 mm.

16 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second diameter is about 0.1 mm to about 10 mm.

17 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conduit gap is about 0.5 mm or higher.

18 . The process of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising thermally annealing the deposition.

19 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the process comprises annealing the deposition to a temperature of at least 100° C. (e.g., 150° C. to 350° C., or about 250° C.).

20 . An electrode comprising:
a. a conductive substrate, and b. a layer formed on the conductive substrate, the layer comprising nanostructured inclusions trapped in a carbon web,
wherein the nanostructured inclusions comprise a silicon or tin active material, and the carbon web comprises a graphene component containing a sulfur atom or a sulfur containing compound.

21 . The electrode of claim 20 , the active material is embedded in or wrapped with the carbon web comprising the graphene component.

22 . The electrode of claim 20 , the sulfur atom or the sulfur containing compound in the layer is bonded to the conductive substrate.

23 . The electrode of claim 20 , the sulfur atom or the sulfur containing compound is contained in the graphene component in an amount of 0.01 to 5.0% by weight.

24 . The electrode of claim 20 , the conductive substrate comprises a metal foil.

25 . The electrode of claim 20 , wherein the layer has a thickness of 200 microns or less.

26 . The electrode of claim 20 , wherein the silicon active material comprises SiO x , wherein × is 0 to 1.5.

27 . The electrode of claim 20 , wherein the silicon active material comprises silicon nanoparticles or Si-containing carbon nano tube.

28 . The electrode of claim 20 , wherein the graphene component comprises a graphene analog selected from the group consisting of graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene, and a combination thereof.

29 . A battery comprising an electrode according to claim 20 .

30 . The battery of claim 29 , selected from the consisting of lithium ion battery, Li-S battery, Li-air battery, fuel cell and solar cell.

31 . A lithium ion battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte, the negative electrode comprising an electrode according to claim 20 .

Assignees

• Univ Cornell
• Dongjin Semichem Co Ltd

Inventors

• Joo Yong Lak
• Fei Ling
• Park Sunchan
• Gong Seon Yeong

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

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/0469

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

• H01M4/1395 Primary

  of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title