Formation and modifications of ceramic nanowires and their use in functional materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023307153-A1
Application number	US-202318318694-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 16, 2023
Priority date	Feb 16, 2016
Publication date	Sep 28, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A catalyst-free synthesis method for the formation of a metalorganic compound comprising a desired (first) metal may include, for example, selecting another (second) metal and an organic solvent, with the second metal being selected to (i) be more reactive with respect to the organic solvent than the first metal and (ii) form, upon exposure of the second metal to the organic solvent, a reaction by-product that is more soluble in the organic solvent than the metalorganic compound. An alloy comprising the first metal and the second metal may be first produced (e.g., formed or otherwise obtained) and then treated with the organic solvent in a liquid phase or a vapor phase to form a mixture comprising (i) the reaction by-product comprising the second metal and (ii) the metalorganic compound comprising the first metal. The metalorganic compound may then be separated from the mixture in the form of a solid.

First claim

1 . An integrated electrode-separator component, comprising:
an electrode substrate; and a separator comprising a first layer, the first layer comprising small wires, the first layer being directly deposited on the electrode substrate, wherein: a total thickness of the separator ranges between about 0.5 μm and about 10 μm; and the small wires exhibit diameters in the range of about 2 nm to about 10 μm and diameter-to-length aspect ratios in the range of about 1:4 to about 1:10,000,000.

2 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the small wires exhibit diameters in a range of about 3 nm to about 2 μm.

3 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the small wires exhibit diameter-to-length aspect ratios in a range of about 1:20 to about 1:100,000.

4 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the small wires in the first layer are preferentially aligned in a first direction.

5 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the separator comprises a second layer of the separator directly on the first layer of the separator.

6 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 5 , wherein:
the second layer comprises an adhesive.

7 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 5 , wherein:
the small wires in the first layer are first small wires; and the second layer of the separator comprises second small wires.

8 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 7 , wherein:
the second small wires in the second layer are preferentially aligned in a second direction.

9 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the total thickness of the separator ranges between about 0.5 μm and about 5 μm.

10 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the separator further comprises a polymer at a weight fraction of the separator in a range of about 0.1 wt. % to about 90 wt. %.

11 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 10 , wherein:
the polymer comprises a thermoplastic with a melting point in a range of about 70 to about 150° C.

12 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
a porosity of the separator is in a range of about 30 vol. % to about 95 vol. %.

13 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 12 , wherein:
the porosity of the separator is in a range of about 50 vol. % to about 70 vol. %.

14 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 12 , wherein:
the porosity of the separator is in a range of about 30 vol. % to about 50 vol. %.

15 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the small wires comprise one or more of the following materials: a metal alkoxide, a metal hydroxide, a metal oxyhydroxide, and a metal oxide.

16 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the small wires comprise one or more of the following materials: aluminum alkoxide, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum oxyhydroxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium alkoxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxyhydroxide, magnesium oxide, a mixture thereof, an alloy thereof.

17 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more materials in the small wires is doped.

18 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the small wires exhibit lengths in a range of about 50 nm to about 50 mm.

19 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the small wires comprise a functional surface coating that exhibits surface layer thicknesses in a range of about 0.3 nm to about 30 nm.

20 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
at least some of the small wires are bundled.

21 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the integrated electrode-separator component is of a non-rectangular shape when the integrated electrode-separator component is viewed in a plan view.

22 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the integrated electrode-separator component is of an L-like shape, a non-rectangular polygonal shape, a round shape, or a truncated round shape, when the integrated electrode-separator component is viewed in a plan view.

23 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
the integrated electrode-separator component comprises a hole penetrating therethrough.

24 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein:
an outer periphery of the integrated electrode-separator component comprises an edge region; the separator is present in the edge region; and the edge region is devoid of an electrode.

25 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , wherein the electrode substrate comprises a current collector and a first electrode attached to or deposited onto a first side of the current collector.

26 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 25 , wherein:
the separator is a first separator; the electrode substrate further comprises a second electrode on a second side of the current collector opposite the first side; and the integrated electrode-separator component further comprises a second separator deposited directly on the second electrode.

27 . The integrated electrode-separator component of claim 26 , wherein:
the first separator and the second separator are discontiguous.

28 . A battery component stack, comprising:
the integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 ; and an opposite electrode substrate disposed adjacent to the integrated electrode-separator component, the opposite electrode substrate comprising an opposite current collector and an opposite electrode on a first side of the opposite current collector, wherein: the opposite electrode substrate and the integrated electrode-separator component are aligned to each other; and the opposite electrode and the separator of the integrated electrode-separator component are in contact with each other.

29 . The battery component stack of claim 28 , wherein:
the opposite electrode and the separator of the integrated electrode-separator component are laminated to each other by an adhesive.

30 . A battery cell, comprising:
the battery component stack of claim 28 ; and an electrolyte, wherein: the electrolyte infiltrates the battery component stack; and the opposite electrode substrate and the electrode substrate of the integrated electrode-separator component are configured to be of opposite polarity to each other.

31 . A battery component stack, comprising:
a first instantiation of the integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 , configured as a first integrated electrode-separator component; a second instantiation of the integrated electrode-separator component of claim 1 configured as a second integrated electrode-separator component and disposed adjacent to the first integrated electrode-separator component, wherein: the first integrated electrode-separator component and the second integrated electrode-separator component are aligned to each other; and the separator of the first integrated electrode-separator component and the separato

Assignees

• Sila Nanotechnologies Inc
• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Yushin Gleb
• Berdichevsky Eugene Michael

Classifications

• H01M50/46

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

• H01M50/489

  Separators, membranes, diaphragms or spacing elements inside the cells, characterised by their physical properties, e.g. swelling degree, hydrophilicity or shut down properties · CPC title

• H01B1/023 Primary

  Alloys based on aluminium · CPC title

• C01F5/06

  by thermal decomposition of magnesium compounds (calcining magnesite or dolomite C04B2/10) · CPC title

• C01B13/18

  by thermal decomposition of compounds, e.g. of salts or hydroxides · CPC title