Conductive polymer coating onto a cathode-active material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021202927-A1
Application number	US-202017137097-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 29, 2020
Priority date	Dec 31, 2019
Publication date	Jul 1, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for coating a conductive polymer onto a cathode-active material for an ion insertion-type electrode comprises: providing an at least partially oxidized cathode-active material having an intrinsic electrode potential, and contacting a precursor of the conductive polymer with the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material. The precursor has a polymerization reduction potential that is lower than the intrinsic electrode potential of the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material, thereby electrochemically polymerizing the precursor onto the cathode-active material.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for coating a conductive polymer onto a cathode-active material for an ion insertion-type electrode and onto a conductive additive, the method comprising:
providing a composite material comprising:
an at least partially oxidized cathode-active material having an intrinsic electrode potential; and
a conductive additive; and
contacting a precursor of the conductive polymer with the composite material, the precursor having a polymerization reduction potential which is lower than the intrinsic electrode potential of the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material, thereby electrochemically polymerizing the precursor onto the cathode-active material and onto the conductive additive.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic electrode potential of the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material is at least 3.8 V vs. Li+/Li.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic electrode potential of the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material is at least 4.4 V vs. Li+/Li.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the intrinsic electrode potential of the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material is at least 4.8 V vs. Li+/Li.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerization reduction potential is at least 2% lower than the intrinsic electrode potential of the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerization reduction potential is at least 5% lower than the intrinsic electrode potential of the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerization reduction potential is at least 10% lower than the intrinsic electrode potential of the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least partially oxidized cathode-active material is a delithiated cathode-active material.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
intercalating the cathode-active material with an alkali metal ion or an alkaline earth metal ion.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the precursor comprises an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the composite material comprises chemically or electrochemically oxidizing the cathode-active material.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive additive is a conductive agent.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the conductive additive is carbon black.

14 . A conductive polymer-coated structure comprising the composite material, obtainable by the method according to claim 1 .

15 . The conductive polymer-coated structure according to claim 14 , wherein conductive polymer-coated structure corresponds to a particle of composite material enveloped by the conductive polymer coating.

16 . The conductive polymer-coated structure according to claim 14 , conductive polymer-coated structure corresponds to a layer comprising the composite material and having the conductive polymer coating thereon.

17 . The conductive polymer-coated structure according to claim 14 , wherein the conductive polymer coating has a minimum thickness and a maximum thickness, wherein the minimum thickness is at least 80% of the maximum thickness.

18 . The conductive polymer-coated structure according to claim 14 , wherein the minimum thickness is at least 98% of the maximum thickness.

19 . An ion insertion-type electrode, comprising the conductive polymer-coated structure according to claim 14 .

20 . A battery, comprising the ion insertion-type electrode according to claim 19 .

Assignees

• Imec Vzw
• Katholieke Univ Leuven Ku Leuven R & D

Inventors

• Pitillas Martinez Andrea Itziar
• Put Brecht
• Vereecken Philippe

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M4/604

  containing aliphatic main chain polymers · CPC title

• H01M4/505

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy · CPC title

• H01M4/366

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M4/622

  being polymers · CPC title