Lead-lead oxide-carbon nanocomposite for energy storage cells and method of preparation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021328210-A1
Application number	US-202016853988-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 21, 2020
Priority date	Apr 21, 2020
Publication date	Oct 21, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Lead/lead oxide/carbon (“Pb—O—C”) nanocomposite materials are useful as electrode active materials for electrodes in lithium and sodium batteries. A Pb—O—C nanocomposite as described herein comprises Pb and PbOx nanoparticles homogeneously dispersed in a carbon nanoparticle matrix. In the Nanocomposite, the other element or elements (e.g., transition metals, Al, Si, P, Sn, Sb, and Bi) can be alloyed with the Pb nanoparticles, incorporated as a mixed oxide with the PbOx nanoparticles, or can be present as distinct elemental or oxide nanoparticles within the carbon nanoparticle matrix. In some embodiments, the additional element or elements are present as alloys and mixed oxides with the Pb materials and as distinct elemental and/or oxide nanoparticles. In a preferred embodiment the Pb nanoparticles surface is oxidized to PbOx thus creating a shell on core nanostructure.

First claim

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1 . A lead-lead oxide-carbon nanocomposite comprising nanoparticles of lead (Pb) and nanoparticles of a lead oxide (PbOx) homogeneously dispersed in a carbon nanoparticle matrix.

2 . The nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles of Pb have a mean diameter in the range of about 2 to about 20 nm as determined by electron microscopy.

3 . The nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles of PbOx have a mean diameter in the range of about 2 to about 20 nm as determined by electron microscopy.

4 . The nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the nanocomposite has a Pb:C elemental ratio of about 1:1 to about 1:20.

5 . The nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles of the PbOx have a Pb:O atomic ratio of about 1:1 to about 1:2.

6 . The nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein the Pb and PbOx are present in the nanocomposite in a respective molar ratio of about 1:0.1 to about 0.1:1.

7 . The nanocomposite of claim 1 , wherein PbOx is present on the surface of at least some of the Pb nanoparticles.

8 . The nanocomposite of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of a transition metal, Al, Si, P, Sn, Sb, and Bi.

9 . The nanocomposite of claim 8 , wherein the at least one additional element is (a) incorporated within the nanoparticles of Pb, (b) incorporated as an oxide within the nanoparticles of PbOx, (c) dispersed within the carbon nanoparticle matrix as elemental nanoparticles, (d) dispersed within the carbon nanoparticle matrix as oxide nanoparticles, or (e) a combination of two or more of (a), (b), (c), and (d).

10 . The nanocomposite of claim 8 , wherein the at least one additional element is selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ni, Fe, Sb, and Sn.

11 . The nanocomposite of claim 8 , wherein the at least one additional element comprises a combination of Sb and Sn, or a combination of Sb and Ni.

12 . The nanocomposite of claim 8 , wherein the at least one additional element is present in the nanocomposite at a concentration of about 50% to about 100% expressed as a percentage of the Pb in the nanocomposite.

13 . A method of preparing the nanocomposite comprising nanoparticles of lead (Pb) and nanoparticles of a lead oxide (PbOx) homogeneously dispersed in a carbon nanoparticle matrix; the method comprising: grinding a mixture comprising a lead oxide material and a carbon material together in a high-energy ball mill, under an inert atmosphere, until a homogeneous dispersion of the nanoparticles of Pb and PbOx is formed within the carbon nanoparticle matrix.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the mixture of the lead oxide material and the carbon material further comprises one or more additional material comprising at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of a transition metal, Al, Si, P, Sn, Sb, and Bi.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the lead oxide material and the carbon material are initially present in the ball mill in a respective weight ratio of about 9:1 to about 1:1.

16 . An electrode for a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery comprising a nanocomposite comprising nanoparticles of lead (Pb) and nanoparticles of a lead oxide (PbOx) homogeneously dispersed in a carbon nanoparticle matrix coated on a conductive current collector with a binder.

17 . The electrode of claim 16 , wherein the nanocomposite further comprises at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of a transition metal, Al, Si, P, Sn, Sb, and Bi; and the at least one additional element is (a) incorporated within the nanoparticles of Pb, (b) incorporated as an oxide within the nanoparticles of PbOx, (c) dispersed within the carbon nanoparticle matrix as elemental nanoparticles, (d) dispersed within the carbon nanoparticle matrix as oxide nanoparticles, or (e) a combination of two or more of (a), (b), (c), and (d).

18 . An electrochemical cell comprising a first electrode comprising a lead-lead oxide-carbon nanocomposite, a second electrode, an ion-conductive separator between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an electrolyte comprising a lithium salt or a sodium salt in a non-aqueous solvent at a concentration of about 0.1 to about 5 M contacting the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator contacting the first electrode, the second electrode, and the separator, wherein the first electrode is the electrode of claim 16 .

19 . The electrochemical cell of claim 18 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises 1-fluoroethylene carbonate at a concentration of about 1 wt % to about 50 wt %.

20 . The electrochemical cell of claim 18 , wherein the nanocomposite further comprises at least one additional element selected from the group consisting of a transition metal, Al, Si, P, Sn, Sb, and Bi; and the at least one additional element is (a) incorporated within the nanoparticles of Pb, (b) incorporated as an oxide within the nanoparticles of PbOx, (c) dispersed within the carbon nanoparticle matrix as elemental nanoparticles, (d) dispersed within the carbon nanoparticle matrix as oxide nanoparticles, or (e) a combination of two or more of (a), (b), (c), and (d).

21 . A secondary battery comprising a plurality of the electrochemical cells of claim 18 electrically connected in series, in parallel, or in both series and parallel.

Assignees

• Uchicago Argonne Llc

Inventors

• Johnson Christopher S
• Lee Eungje
• Han Jinhyup
• Park Jehee

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M4/131

  Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx · CPC title

• H01M4/587

  for inserting or intercalating light metals · CPC title

• H01M10/054

  Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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