Battery and method of manufacturing cathode of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019237834-A1
Application number	US-201716312188-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	Aug 1, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery includes a cathode (101), an anode (102), and an electrolyte (103). The cathode (101) is made of a bicontinuous body having a three-dimensional network structure including a plurality of nanostructures. The electrolyte (103) is sandwiched between the cathode (101) and the anode (102) and made of a salt. The electrolyte (103) may be made of, e.g., an aqueous solution of one of potassium chloride and sodium chloride, or a mixture thereof. The anode (102) may contain, e.g., a metal selected from magnesium, zin, iron, and aluminum.

First claim

1 . A battery comprising:
a cathode made of a bicontinuous body having a three-dimensional network structure including a plurality of nanostructures and having flexibility because bonded portions of the nanostructures are deformable; an anode; and an electrolyte made of a salt and sandwiched between the cathode.

2 . The battery according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of nanostructures comprises:
one of a nanosheet and a nanofiber, wherein the nanosheet is made of at least one of carbon, iron oxide, manganese oxide, zinc oxide, molybdenum oxide, and molybdenum sulfide, and the nanofiber is made of at least one of carbon, iron oxide, manganese oxide, zinc oxide, molybdenum oxide, molybdenum sulfide, and cellulose.

3 . The battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a catalyst carried by the cathode,
wherein the catalyst is made of at least one metal selected from iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and molybdenum, or an oxide of at least one metal selected from calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and molybdenum.

4 . The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is made of an aqueous solution of one of potassium chloride, sodium chloride, and a mixture of potassium chloride and sodium chloride.

5 . The battery according to claim 1 , further comprising a housing configured to accommodate a cell including the cathode, the electrolyte, and the anode,
wherein the housing is made of a naturally degradable material.

6 . The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the anode contains one of magnesium, zinc, iron, and aluminum.

7 . The battery according to claim 1 , wherein the cathode is an air electrode.

8 . The battery according to claim 1 , wherein an active material in the cathode is water.

9 . A method of manufacturing a cathode of a battery including the cathode made of a bicontinuous body having a three-dimensional network structure including a plurality of nanostructures, an anode, and an electrolyte sandwiched between the cathode and the anode and made of a salt, comprising:
a freezing step of obtaining a frozen body by freezing a sol or gel in which the plurality of nanostructures are dispersed; and a drying step of obtaining the bicontinuous body by drying the frozen body in a vacuum.

10 . The method of manufacturing a cathode of a battery according to claim 9 , further comprising a gel producing step of causing bacteria to produce the gel in which nanofibers made of one of iron oxide, manganese oxide, and cellulose are dispersed,
wherein in the freezing step, the frozen body is obtained by freezing the gel produced in the gel producing step.

11 . The method of manufacturing a cathode of a battery according to claim 10 , further comprising a carbonizing step of carbonizing the bicontinuous body obtained from the gel by heating in a gas atmosphere in which cellulose is not burned,
wherein in the gel producing step, the gel in which the nanofibers made of cellulose are dispersed is produced.

12 . The method of manufacturing a cathode of a battery according to claim 9 , wherein the anode contains one of magnesium, zinc, iron, and aluminum.

13 . The method of manufacturing a cathode of a battery according to claim 9 , wherein the cathode is an air electrode.

14 . The method of manufacturing a cathode of a battery according to claim 9 , wherein an active material in the cathode is water.

15 . The battery according to claim 2 , wherein the cathode is an air electrode.

16 . The battery according to claim 3 , wherein the cathode is an air electrode.

17 . The battery according to claim 4 , wherein the cathode is an air electrode.

18 . The battery according to claim 5 , wherein the cathode is an air electrode.

19 . The battery according to claim 6 , wherein the cathode is an air electrode.

20 . The battery according to claim 2 , wherein an active material in the cathode is water.

Assignees

• Nippon Telegraph & Telephone

Inventors

• Nohara Masaya
• Ono Yoko
• Iwata Mikayo
• Hayashi Masahiko
• Komatsu Takeshi

Classifications

• C04B2111/00853

  in electrochemical cells or batteries, e.g. fuel cells · CPC title

• C04B38/0045

  by a process involving the formation of a sol or a gel, e.g. sol-gel or precipitation processes · CPC title

• C04B35/62847

  with oxide ceramics · CPC title

• H01M4/9016

  Oxides, hydroxides or oxygenated metallic salts · CPC title

• C04B35/62892

  with a coating layer consisting of particles · CPC title