Electrochemical cells including anodes comprising a protective layer, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024030501-A1
Application number	US-202118247577-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 1, 2021
Priority date	Oct 2, 2020
Publication date	Jan 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical cell is disclosed and comprises an electrolyte between a cathode and an anode and a protective layer between the anode and the electrolyte. The protective layer comprises a porous layer over the anode and a dense layer over the porous layer, each of the porous layer and the dense layer comprising an inorganic compound, an organic compound, or an inorganic-organic composite. Additional electrochemical cells are disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of forming an electrochemical cell.

First claim

1 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
an electrolyte between a cathode and an anode and a protective layer between the anode and the electrolyte, the protective layer comprising a porous layer over the anode and a dense layer over the porous layer, each of the porous layer and the dense layer comprising an inorganic compound, an organic compound, or an inorganic-organic composite.

2 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises lithium, potassium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, or calcium.

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the protective layer comprises one or more of lithium fluoride, lithium bromide, lithium chloride, lithium carbonate, lithium phosphide, lithium phosphate, lithium nitride, lithium nitrate, lithium sulfide, lithium sulfate, thio-lithium superionic conductors, lithium tin phosphorous sulfide, lithium-stuffed garnet, perovskite-type lithium lanthanum titanates, sodium superionic conductors, lithium aluminum titanium phosphate, glass-ceramics, or a combination thereof.

4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the porous layer exhibits a thickness ranging from about 1 micrometer to about 15 micrometers.

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the dense layer exhibits a thickness of from about 5 nanometers to about 1000 nanometers.

6 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
an electrolyte between a cathode and an anode; and a protective layer between the anode and the electrolyte, the protective layer comprising:
a porous layer proximal to the anode and comprising an inorganic compound, an organic compound, or an inorganic-organic composite; and
a dense layer adjacent to the porous layer and proximal to the electrolyte and comprising an inorganic compound, an organic compound, or an inorganic-organic composite.

7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a lithium-ion battery, a potassium-ion battery, a sodium-ion battery, a potassium-ion battery, a magnesium-ion battery, or a calcium-ion battery.

8 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 , wherein the porous layer exhibits pore sizes within a range of from about 10 nanometers to about 1000 nanometers.

9 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 , wherein the dense layer partially fills pores of the porous layer.

10 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 , wherein the porous layer comprises an inorganic-organic composite comprising lithium fluoride and a polymer.

11 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 , wherein the porous layer comprises an inorganic-organic composite comprising lithium fluoride, lithium iodide, and a polymer.

12 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 , wherein the electrolyte comprises lithium nitrate and at least one of lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, lithium bis(trifluoro-methanesulfonyl)imide, lithium hexafluorophosphate, or a combination thereof.

13 . The electrochemical cell of claim 6 , wherein the porous layer comprises lithium fluoride and the dense layer comprises lithium fluoride.

14 . A method of forming an electrochemical cell, comprising:
providing a metal anode; forming a porous layer over the metal anode; forming an electrolyte over the porous layer; forming a cathode over the electrolyte; and applying a voltage through the electrochemical cell to form a dense layer on the porous layer.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein forming a porous layer over the metal anode comprises exposing the metal anode to a precursor solution comprising a polymer and an inorganic compound and reacting the polymer and the inorganic compound with the metal anode.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying a voltage through the electrochemical cell to form a dense layer on the porous layer comprises in-situ forming the dense layer.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying a voltage through the electrochemical cell to form a dense layer on the porous layer comprises ex-situ forming the dense layer.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying a voltage through the electrochemical cell to form a dense layer on the porous layer comprises depositing lithium in pores of the porous layer.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying a voltage through the electrochemical cell to form a dense layer on the porous layer comprises transporting electrons through the lithium.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein applying a voltage through the electrochemical cell to form a dense layer on the porous layer comprises reacting lithium and the electrolyte.

Assignees

• Battelle Energy Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Li Bin
• Efaw Corey M
• Dufek Eric J

Classifications

• H01M10/4235 Primary

  Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/045

  Electrochemical coating; Electrochemical impregnation · CPC title

• H01M4/382

  Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/134

  Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title

• H01M4/1395

  of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys · CPC title