Synthesis of gamma monoclinic sulfur and sulfur batteries containing monoclinic sulfur

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020313188-A1
Application number	US-202016900473-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 12, 2020
Priority date	Jan 14, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a novel cathode employing a monoclinic sulfur phase that enables a single plateau lithium-sulfur reaction in, for example, a carbonate electrolyte system. The cathode is applicable to a variety of other types of anodes. Also disclosed are an electrode of a cell or battery and a battery including the cathode.

First claim

1 - 13 . (canceled)

14 . A cathode comprising
a monoclinic phase sulfur that is stable at a temperature below 80° C. located on a substrate.

15 . The cathode of claim 14 , wherein the monoclinic phase sulfur comprises a form of sulfur selected from the group consisting of monoclinic gamma phase sulfur; monoclinic sulfur that best matches PDF Card No.: 00-013-0141 Quality: B for Rosickyite, monoclinic gamma phase sulfur, using PDXL Version 2 Integrated Powder Diffraction Software; monoclinic cyclo-hexa-cyclo-deca sulfur and monoclinic sulfur that best matches to PDF Card No.: 01-072-4584 Quality: S for cyclo-decasulfur-cyclo-hexasulfur using the PDXL Integrated Powder Diffraction Software.

16 . The cathode of claim 14 , wherein the cathode includes a current collector.

17 . The cathode of claim 14 , wherein the cathode has an initial discharge capacity in a range of from about 300 mAh/g to about 2500 mAh/g, based on a total weight of sulfur in the cathode.

18 . The cathode of claim 14 , wherein the cathode has a loading of the monoclinic phase sulfur in a range of at least 0.05 mg/cm 2 or at least 0.5 mg/cm 2 .

19 . A sulfur cell comprising the cathode of claim 14 , an anode, and an electrolyte.

20 . The sulfur cell of claim 19 , wherein the electrolyte is a carbonate electrolyte.

21 . The sulfur cell of claim 20 , wherein the carbonate electrolyte is selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, dimethylcarbonate, methylethyl carbonate, diethylcarbonate, propylene carbonate, vinylene carbonate, allyl ethyl carbonate, and mixtures thereof.

22 . The sulfur cell of claim 20 , wherein the carbonate electrolyte is selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, diethyl carbonate, propylene carbonate and mixtures thereof.

23 . The sulfur cell of claim 19 , wherein the anode is an ion reservoir including an active material selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline metals, transition metals, graphite, alloys, and composites.

24 . The sulfur cell of claim 19 , wherein the anode includes an active material selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, zinc, copper, titanium, nickel, cobalt, iron, or aluminum.

25 . The sulfur cell of claim 19 , wherein the cell is selected from a lithium-sulfur cell, a sodium-sulfur cell, a potassium-sulfur cell, a magnesium-sulfur cell, and a calcium-sulfur cell.

26 . The sulfur cell of claim 19 , wherein the cell exhibits a single plateau discharge curve with a discharge capacity of from 300 mAh/g to about 1700 mAh/g, all based on a total weight of the sulfur in the cathode, or the cell exhibits a single plateau discharge curve with a discharge capacity of from about 300 mAh/g to about 3000 mAh/g after a first cycle at a C/10 rate, all based on a total weight of the sulfur in the cathode.

27 . The sulfur cell claim 19 , wherein the cell has a discharge capacity of from about 100 mAh/g to about 1500 mAh/g, after 1300 cycles at a C/2 rate, all based on a total weight of the sulfur in the cathode.

28 . The sulfur cell of claim 19 , wherein the cell is selected from a lithium-sulfur cell, a sodium-sulfur cell, and a potassium-sulfur cell.

29 . The sulfur cell of claim 19 , wherein the cell is a rechargeable cell.

30 . The sulfur cell of claim 19 , wherein the cell comprises a current collector.

31 . A sulfur battery comprising a plurality of the sulfur cell of claim 19 .

32 . The sulfur battery of claim 31 , further comprising a porous separator, wherein the separator is provided between an anodic section and a cathodic section of the battery.

33 . The sulfur battery of claim 32 , wherein the separator comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a porous polypropylene membrane, cotton, nylon, polyesters, glass fiber, polyethylene, poly(tetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl chloride, anodic aluminum oxide and rubber.

34 - 35 . (canceled)

36 . The cathode of claim 14 , wherein the substrate is a porous material which has a pore volume of 10-95%.

37 . The cathode of claim 14 , wherein the substrate is conductive.

38 . The cathode of claim 14 , wherein the substrate is non-conductive.

39 . The cathode of claim 14 , wherein the substrate comprises carbon nanofibers.

40 . The cathode of claim 39 , wherein the carbon nanofibers are free-standing carbon nanofibers.

Assignees

• Univ Drexel

Inventors

• Pai Rahul Nagesh
• Kalra Vibha

Classifications

• H01M50/446

  Composite material consisting of a mixture of organic and inorganic materials · CPC title

• H01M50/46

  Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/0423

  Physical vapour deposition · CPC title

• H01M2004/028

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title