Rechargeable metal halide battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019221887-A1
Application number	US-201815872607-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 16, 2018
Priority date	Jan 16, 2018
Publication date	Jul 18, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery includes an anode; an electrolyte including an oxidizing gas; a metal halide that functions as an active cathode material; and a solvent including a nitrile compound; and a current collector contacting the cathode material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery, comprising:
an anode; an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte comprises:
an oxidizing gas;
a metal halide that functions as an active cathode material; and
a solvent comprising a nitrile compound, wherein the oxidizing gas and the metal halide are dissolved in the solvent, and wherein the electrolyte is in contact with the anode; and
a current collector contacting the cathode material.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the current collector comprises a porous material that is electrically conductive.

3 . The battery of claim 1 , comprising a separator between the anode and the current collector.

4 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery completes at least 100 cycles of charging and discharging at a current density of greater than or equal to 1 mA/cm 2 .

5 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery completes at least 1000 cycles of charging and discharging at a current density of greater than or equal to 1 mA/cm 2 .

6 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery completes at least 100 cycles of charging and discharging at a current density of greater than or equal to 20 mA/cm 2 .

7 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery completes at least 1000 cycles of charging and discharging at a current density of greater than or equal to 20 mA/cm 2 .

8 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery has an energy efficiency of greater than or equal to 90% at a current density of greater than or equal to 1 mA/cm 2 .

9 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery has an energy efficiency of greater than or equal to 99% at a current density of greater than or equal to 1 mA/cm 2 .

10 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery has an energy efficiency of greater than or equal to 90% at a current density of greater than or equal to 20 mA/cm 2 .

11 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the battery has an energy efficiency of greater than or equal to 99% at a current density of greater than or equal to 20 mA/cm 2 .

12 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises at least one of Li, Mg, and Na.

13 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the oxidizing gas comprises at least one of oxygen, air, nitric oxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

14 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises of at least one of valeronitrile, nonanenitrile, hexanenitrile, acetonitrile, propionitrile, glutaronitrile, methoxyacetonitrile, methoxybenzonitrile, methoxypropionitrile, methylglutaronitrile, butoxypropionitrile, and butoxybenzonitrile.

15 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the metal halide comprises an electrolyte salt that dissociates into a respective halide ion and a respective metal ion in the solvent, and wherein the halide ion comprises an ion of at least one of I, Br, Cl, and F, and the metal ion comprises an ion of at least one of Li, Mg, and Na.

16 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the solvent comprises an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of an ether, a glyme, a carbonate, a nitrile, an amide, an amine, an organosulfur solvent, an organophosphorus solvent, an organosilicon solvent, a fluorinated solvent, and mixtures and combinations thereof.

17 . The battery of claim 1 , comprising a second cathode material in addition to the metal halide that functions as the active cathode material.

18 . A battery, comprising:
(a) an anode that: (i) takes up metal ions from a liquid electrolyte during charging, and (ii) releases the ions to the liquid electrolyte during discharging, the liquid electrolyte comprising:
(i) a solvent containing at least one nitrile group;
(ii) an oxidizing gas dissolved in the solvent; and
(iii) a metal halide dissolved in the solvent, wherein the metal halide functions as a cathode for the battery;
(b) a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer contacting the anode, the SEI layer including an oxide of the metal; and (c) a current collector comprising an electrically conductive porous material, wherein the current collector contacts the cathode.

19 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the battery is capable of at least 100 cycles of charging and discharging at a current density of greater than or equal to 1 mA/cm 2 .

20 . The battery of claim 18 , comprising a separator between the anode and the current collector.

21 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the electrolyte is non-aqueous.

22 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the oxidizing gas is selected from the group consisting of air, oxygen, nitric oxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

23 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the halide is selected from the group consisting of I—, Br—, Cl—, and F—.

24 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the solvent has the formula R—CN or CN—R—CN, wherein R is an organic functional group.

25 . The battery of claim 24 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of valeronitrile, nonanenitrile, hexanenitrile, acetonitrile, propionitrile, glutaronitrile, methoxyacetonitrile, methoxybenzonitrile, methoxypropionitrile, methylglutaronitrile, butoxypropionitrile, butoxybenzonitrile, and combinations thereof.

26 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a salt that releases the metal ions.

27 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the electrolyte comprises an additional organic solvent selected from the group consisting of ethers, glymes, carbonates, nitriles, amides, amines, organosulfur solvents, organophosphorus solvents, organosilicon solvents, and fluorinated solvents.

28 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the anode comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, and Mg.

29 . The battery of claim 18 , wherein the anode comprises an intercalation host material capable of taking up metal ions.

30 . The battery of claim 18 , comprising a second cathode in addition to the metal halide that functions as the active cathode material.

31 . A method of forming a battery, comprising:
dissolving a metal halide in a solvent comprising a nitrile to form a solution; soaking a separator with the solution; stacking an anode, the separator soaked with the solution, and a current collector, wherein the stacking comprises placing the separator between the anode and the current collector; and introducing an oxidizing gas to the stacked anode, separator, and current collector to form the battery, wherein the battery comprises:
an anode,
an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte comprises:
an oxidizing gas;
a metal halide that functions as an active cathode material; and
a solvent comprising a nitrile compound; and

a current collector contacting the cathode material.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kim Jangwoo
• Na Young-Hye
• Kim Ho-Cheol

Classifications

• H01M10/0562

  Solid materials · CPC title

• H01M50/437

  Glass · CPC title

• H01M50/44

  Fibrous material · CPC title

• H01M2220/10

  Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant · CPC title

• H01M50/414

  Synthetic resins, e.g. thermoplastics or thermosetting resins · CPC title