Protection of battery electrodes against side reactions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022037645-A1
Application number	US-202117451022-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 15, 2021
Priority date	Oct 5, 2015
Publication date	Feb 3, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A battery electrode composition is provided that comprises composite particles. Each of the composite particles in the composition (which may represent all or a portion of a larger composition) may comprise a porous electrode particle and a filler material. The porous electrode particle may comprise active material provided to store and release ions during battery operation. The filler material may occupy at least a portion of the pores of the electrode particle. The filler material may be liquid and not substantially conductive with respect to electron transport.

First claim

1 . A first battery electrode composition, comprising:
a first composite particle comprising a first porous electrode particle, a first active material capable of storing and releasing ions during battery operation, and a first filler material occupying at least a portion of one or more pores of the first porous electrode particle, wherein the first filler material is not substantially conductive with respect to electron transport, and wherein the first filler material comprises one or more markers, the one or more markers capable of distinguishing the first filler material of the first battery electrode composition from one or more other filler materials of one or more other battery electrode compositions via respective spectroscopic or spectrometric signals.

2 . A battery electrode composition arrangement, comprising:
the first battery electrode composition of claim 1 ; and a second battery electrode composition comprising a second composite particle, the second composite particle comprising a second porous electrode particle, a second active material capable of storing and releasing ions during battery operation, and a second filler material occupying at least a portion of one or more pores of the second porous electrode particle, wherein the second filler material comprises at least one marker, the one or more markers of the first filler material being distinguishable from the at least one marker of the second filler material via the respective spectroscopic or spectrometric signals.

3 . The battery electrode composition arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the first active material of the first battery electrode composition is the same as the second active material of the second battery electrode composition.

4 . The battery electrode composition arrangement of claim 2 , wherein the first active material of the first battery electrode composition is different than the second active material of the second battery electrode composition.

5 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first filler material is configured to substantially prevent direct contact between the first active material and at least one component of an electrolyte capable of being used in a battery cell once the first battery electrode composition is made part of an electrode of the battery cell.

6 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 5 , wherein the at least one component comprises an electrolyte solvent.

7 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the spectroscopic or spectrometric signals are detectable by Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), secondary emission mass spectrometry (SIMS), fluorescence, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS), or any combination thereof.

8 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more markers comprise one or more salts, one or more dyes, one or more oligomers, one or more polymers, one or more quantum dots, one or more nanoparticles, or any combination thereof.

9 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the one or more markers are stable during battery operation.

10 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first filler material exhibits an electrical conductivity of less than about 10'S/cm.

11 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first active material comprises silicon.

12 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first active material comprises a metal-fluoride-based material.

13 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first porous electrode particle exhibits a porosity in the range from about 2 vol. % to about 70 vol. %.

14 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first porous electrode particle exhibits a specific surface area in the range from about 5 m 2 /g to about 3000 m 2 /g.

15 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first porous electrode particle exhibits pore dimensions in the range from about 0.4 nm to about 40 nm.

16 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first porous electrode particle comprises conductive carbon.

17 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first filler material is at least partially fluorinated or sulfonated.

18 . The first battery electrode composition of claim 1 , wherein the first filler material comprises a Li salt.

19 . A method of fabricating at least a first battery electrode composition for a battery cell, comprising:
forming a first porous electrode particle that comprises a first active material capable of storing and releasing ions during battery operation; and infiltrating, into the first porous electrode particle, a first filler material into at least a portion of one or more pores of the first porous electrode particle to produce a first composite particle, wherein the first filler material is not substantially conductive with respect to electron transport, and wherein the first filler material comprises one or more markers, the one or more markers capable of distinguishing the first filler material of the first battery electrode composition from one or more other filler materials of one or more other battery electrode compositions via respective spectroscopic or spectrometric signals.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
fabricating a second battery electrode composition by:
forming a second porous electrode particle that comprises a second active material capable of storing and releasing ions during battery operation; and
infiltrating, into the second porous electrode particle, a second filler material into at least a portion of one or more pores of the second porous electrode particle to produce a second composite particle,
wherein the second filler material is not substantially conductive with respect to electron transport, and wherein the second filler material comprises at least one marker, the one or more markers of the first filler material being distinguishable from the at least one marker of the second filler material via the respective spectroscopic or spectrometric signals.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the first active material of the first battery electrode composition is the same as the second active material of the second battery electrode composition.

22 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the first active material of the first battery electrode composition is different than the second active material of the second battery electrode composition.

23 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the first filler material is configured to substantially prevent direct contact between the first active material and at least one component of an electrolyte capable of being used in a battery cell once the first battery electrode composition is made part of an electrode of the battery cell.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the at least one component comprises an electrolyte solvent.

25 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the spectroscopic or spectrometric signals are detectable by Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), secondary emission mass spectrometry (SIM

Assignees

• Sila Nanotechnologies Inc

Inventors

• Yushin Gleb
• Zdyrko Bogdan
• Berdichevsky Eugene
• Jacobs Alexander
• Nese Alper
• Kajdos Adam
• Yen Justin
• Doane Justin

Classifications

• H01M4/364 Primary

  as mixtures · CPC title

• H01M4/582

  Halogenides · CPC title

• H01M4/5815

  Sulfides · CPC title

• H01M4/62

  Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for active masses, e.g. binders, fillers · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

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