Decomposition of silicon-containing precursors on porous scaffold materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020020935-A1
Application number	US-201816491423-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 9, 2018
Priority date	Mar 9, 2017
Publication date	Jan 16, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Composites of silicon and various porous scaffold materials, such as carbon material comprising micro-, meso- and/or macropores, and methods for manufacturing the same are provided. The compositions find utility in various applications, including electrical energy storage electrodes and devices comprising the same.

First claim

1 . A method for producing a composite material comprising a porous carbon scaffold and silicon, comprising the following steps:
a. mixing polymer precursors materials and storing the resulting mixture for a period of time at sufficient temperature to allow for polymerization of the precursors; b. carbonizing the resulting polymer material to create a porous carbon material; c. subjecting the porous carbon material to elevated temperature in the presence of a silicon-containing precursor and a hydrocarbon material that decomposes at a higher temperature than the silicon containing precursor; d. elevating the temperature to decompose the silicon containing precursor, resulting in a silicon impregnated carbon materials; and e. further elevating the temperature to decompose the hydrocarbon material, resulting in a carbon-coated, silicon impregnated carbon material.

2 . A method for producing a composite material comprising a porous carbon scaffold and silicon, comprising the following steps:
a. mixing polymer precursors materials and storing the resulting mixture for a period of time at sufficient temperature to allow for polymerization of the precursors; b. carbonizing the resulting polymer material to create a porous carbon material; c. subjecting the porous carbon material to elevated temperature in the presence of a silicon-containing precursor and a hydrocarbon material that decomposes at a similar temperature compared to the silicon containing precursor; and d. elevating the temperature to simultaneously decompose the silicon containing precursor into silicon and decomposethe hydrocarbon material into carbon, resulting in a carbon-coated, silicon impregnated carbon material.

3 . A method for producing a porous silicon material comprising the following steps:
a) providing a porous disposable scaffold; b) impregnating silicon within the porous disposable scaffold via decomposition of a silicon containing precursor material; and c) thermally decomposing or dissolving the porous disposable scaffold, thereby producing a porous silicon material substantially free of the porous disposable scaffold.

4 . The method of any one of claims 1 through 3 wherein the impregnation of silicon is accomplished by processing in a reactor at a temperature between 450 and 700 C in the presence of a silicon-containing gas.

5 . The method of any one of claims 1 through 3 wherein the impregnation of silicon is accomplished by processing in a reactor at a temperature between 450 and 600 C in the presence of silane.

6 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the silicon containing precursor is silane, disilane, trisilane, tetrasilane, or a combination thereof.

7 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 2 , wherein the hydrocarbon material is methane, ethane, propane, butane, pentane, heptane, hexane, cyclohexane, octane, nonane or decane, or a combination thereof.

8 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the reaction vessel pressure is below atmospheric pressure.

9 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the reaction vessel pressure is at atmospheric pressure.

10 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein the reaction vessel pressure is above atmospheric pressure.

11 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein at one or more steps the reaction vessel pressure and temperature are such that the silicon containing precursor is in the supercritical state.

12 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 2 , wherein at one or more steps the reaction vessel pressure and temperature are such that the hydrocarbon material is in the supercritical state.

13 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 7 , where the reactor type is a tube furnace, fluid bed reactor, rotary kiln reactor, elevator kiln, or roller hearth kiln.

14 . The method of any one of claims 1 to 7 , where the reactor type comprises a batch reactor, continuous stirred-tank reactor, plug flow reactor, semi-batch reactor, packed bed reactor, oscillatory baffled reactor, membrane reactor, or tubular reactor.

15 . A method for producing a composite material comprising a porous carbon scaffold and silicon comprising the following steps:
a. mixing polymer precursors materials and storing the resulting mixture for a period of time at sufficient temperature to allow for polymerization of the precursors; b. carbonizing the resulting polymer material to create a porous carbon material; c. subjecting the porous carbon material to the presence of a silicon containing precursor and cycling the temperature over a range, wherein the lower end of the range is below the decomposition temperature of the silicon containing precursor, and the upper end of the range is above the decomposition temperature of the silicon containing precursor.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the silicon containing precursor is silane.

17 . A method for producing a composite material comprising a porous carbon scaffold and silicon, comprising the following steps:
a. mixing polymer precursors materials and storing the resulting mixture for a period of time at sufficient temperature to allow for polymerization of the precursors; b. carbonizing the resulting polymer material to create a porous carbon material; and c. subjecting the porous carbon material to the presence of a silicon containing precursor and cycling the pressure over a range, wherein the lower end of the range is below the critical pressure of the silicon containing precursor, and the upper end of the range is above the critical pressure of the silicon containing precursor.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the silicon containing precursor is silane.

19 . The method of any one of claims 1 - 18 , further comprising contacting the porous scaffold with a catalyst prior to contacting the scaffold with the silicon-containing precursor.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the catalyst is aluminum, nickel or manganese, or combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Group14 Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Costantino Henry R
• Feaver Aaron M
• Sakshaug Avery J
• Timmons Christopher

Classifications

• H01G11/38

  Carbon pastes or blends; Binders or additives therein · CPC title

• H01M4/366 Primary

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01G11/06

  with one of the electrodes allowing ions to be reversibly doped thereinto, e.g. lithium ion capacitors [LIC] · CPC title

• B01J23/72

  Copper · CPC title

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title