3d ordered nanomesh for metal-air battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022190352-A1
Application number	US-201917442874-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2019
Priority date	Apr 1, 2019
Publication date	Jun 16, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method ( 100 ) for making a non-aqueous rechargeable metal-air battery is provided. The method includes before and/or after inserting ( 108 ) a cathode in the battery, a pre-conditioning step ( 104, 106, 110 ) of a 3D nanomesh structure, so as to obtain a pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure, the pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure being free of cathode active material.
A cathode to be inserted into a non-aqueous rechargeable metal-air battery is also provided. The cathode includes a pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure made of nanowires made of electronic conductive metal material, the pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure being free of cathode active material.
A non-aqueous rechargeable metal-air battery including such a cathode is also provided.

First claim

1 . A method for making a non-aqueous rechargeable metal-air battery, comprising:
making a cathode comprising a 3D nanomesh structure made of electronic conductive metal material; inserting the cathode in the battery; charging/discharging the battery so as to form the cathode active material on a pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure; wherein, before and/or after inserting the cathode in the battery, a pre-conditioning step of the 3D nanomesh structure is carried out, so as to obtain the pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure, the pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure being free of cathode active material.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-conditioning step is carried out after inserting the cathode in the battery by applying a formation step to the 3D nanomesh structure in the non-aqueous electrolyte to be used in the metal-air battery under an inert atmosphere.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the formation step is carried out at a voltage rate greater than or equal to 10 mV/s and smaller than or equal to 100 mV/s until the difference of current density measured between two cycles is smaller than or equal to 1 μA/cm 2 at a temperature comprised between 10° C. and 50° C.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the number of cycles is smaller than or equal to 15 cycles.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-conditioning step is carried out before inserting the cathode in the battery and comprises a drying step to the 3D nanomesh structure.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the drying step is carried out in air for at least 1 h at a temperature greater than or equal to 100° C.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the temperature is smaller than or equal to 300° C.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-conditioning step is carried out before inserting the cathode in the battery and comprises a step of conformably coating the 3D nanomesh structure with amorphous carbon, the amorphous carbon coating having a thickness smaller than or equal to 2 nm.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the conformably coating step is carried out at a temperature smaller than or equal to 300° C.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the conformably coating step is carried out by chemical vapor deposition or plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.

11 . A cathode to be inserted into a non-aqueous rechargeable metal-air battery, the cathode comprising a pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure made of nanowires made of electronic conductive metal material, the pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure being free of cathode active material.

12 . The cathode according to claim 11 , wherein the cathode comprises a plurality of pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structures disposed in series, the cathode also including at least a gas diffusion layer disposed between two adjacent pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structures.

13 . The cathode according to claim 11 , wherein the nanowires have a diameter smaller than or equal to 500 nm and an aspect ratio greater than or equal to 20.

14 . The cathode according to claim 13 , wherein the spacing between the longitudinal axis of two neighboring nanowires is greater than or equal to 20 nm and smaller than or equal to 600 nm, the spacing being larger than the diameter of the nanowires.

15 . The cathode according to claim 11 , wherein the pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure has a thickness greater than or equal to 1 μm and smaller than or equal to 500 μm.

16 . The cathode according to claim 11 , wherein the pre-conditioned 3D nanomesh structure has a volumetric surface area greater than or equal to 20 m 2 /cm 3 and a porosity greater than or equal to 50 vol % and smaller than or equal to 90 vol %.

17 . The cathode according to claim 11 , wherein the electronic conductive metal material is nickel, cobalt, gold, palladium, platinum, copper, titanium or aluminium or a mixture thereof.

18 . A non-aqueous rechargeable metal-air battery comprising a cathode according to claim 11 .

19 . The non-aqueous rechargeable metal-air battery according to claim 18 , comprising a non-aqueous electrolyte, wherein the non-aqueous electrolyte is free of carbonate group.

20 . The non-aqueous rechargeable metal-air battery according to claim 18 , wherein the metal-air battery is a lithium-air battery.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Europe
• Imec Vzw
• Univ Leuven Kath

Inventors

• Barde Fanny Jeanne Julie
• Vereecken Philippe
• Kee Yongho

Classifications

• H01M4/36

  Selection of substances as active materials, active masses, active liquids · CPC title

• H01M4/8817 Primary

  Treatment of supports before application of the catalytic active composition (coated porous composites H01M8/0245) · CPC title

• H01M2004/8689

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/74

  Meshes or woven material; Expanded metal · CPC title

• H01M4/72

  Grids · CPC title