Aqueous polysulfide-based electrochemical cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025055011-A1
Application number	US-202418621659-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 29, 2024
Priority date	Jun 29, 2018
Publication date	Feb 13, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical cell and battery system including cells, each cell including a catholyte, an anolyte, and a separator disposed between the catholyte and anolyte and that is permeable to the at least one ionic species (for example, a metal cation or the hydroxide ion). The catholyte solution includes a ferricyanide, permanganate, manganate, sulfur, and/or polysulfide compound, and the anolyte includes a sulfide and/or polysulfide compound. These electrochemical couples may be embodied in various physical architectures, including static (non-flowing) architectures or in flow battery (flowing) architectures.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
a catholyte comprising a cathode active material dissolved in an electrolyte; an anolyte comprising a polysulfide compound dissolved in the electrolyte; and a separator electrically insulating the anolyte from the catholyte, the anolyte and the catholyte in ionic communication with one another via the separator, and the cathode active material comprising a manganese-based compound.

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the manganese-based compound comprises a permanganate compound, a manganate compound, or a combination thereof.

4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the manganese-based compound comprises potassium permanganate (KMnO 4 ), potassium manganate (K 2 MnO 4 ), sodium permanganate (NaMnO 4 ), sodium manganate (Na 2 MnO 4 ), lithium permanganate (LiMnO 4 ), lithium manganate (Li 2 MnO 4 ), or any combination thereof.

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 4 , wherein the cathode active material comprises a mixture of KMnO 4 and NaMnO 4 .

6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the catholyte further comprises a bismuth oxide, an alkaline earth metal salt, or an alkaline earth metal hydroxide.

7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the catholyte further comprises a nickel-chelating additive.

8 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the separator comprises a polymer, a protective layer disposed on a side of the polymer facing the catholyte, the protective layer including manganese oxide, a polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polysulfone, a polystyrene, a polypropylene, a polyethylene, or any combination thereof.

9 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the separator comprises a composite membrane, the composite membrane including an inorganic material and an organic material.

10 . The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein the inorganic material includes a metal oxide or a ceramic material.

11 . The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein the organic material includes a polyether ether ketone (PEEK), a polysulfone, a polystyrene, a polypropylene, a polyethylene, or any combination thereof.

12 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the catholyte and the anolyte are aqueous solutions having a pH at or above 13.

13 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
a catholyte comprising a cathode active material dissolved in an electrolyte; an anolyte comprising a polysulfide compound dissolved in the electrolyte; and a separator electrically insulating the anolyte from the catholyte, the anolyte and the catholyte in ionic communication with one another via the separator, and at least one of the catholyte or the anolyte comprising sodium thiosulfate (Na 2 S 2 O 3 ).

14 . The electrochemical cell of claim 13 , wherein the cathode active material comprises a sulfur-containing compound.

15 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
a catholyte comprising a cathode active material dissolved in an electrolyte; an anolyte comprising a polysulfide compound dissolved in the electrolyte; and a separator electrically insulating the anolyte from the catholyte, the anolyte and the catholyte in ionic communication with one another via the separator, and the cathode active material of the catholyte comprising a transition metal sulfide.

Assignees

• Form Energy Inc

Inventors

• Su Liang
• Xie Wei
• Chiang Yet-Ming
• Woodford William Henry
• Cohen Lucas
• Silver Jessa
• Ripley Katelyn
• Weber Eric
• Ferrara Marco
• Jaramillo Mateo Cristian
• Wiley Theodore Alan

Classifications

• H01M4/5815

  Sulfides · CPC title

• H01M8/188

  by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries · 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

• H01M50/491

  Porosity · CPC title

• H01M50/451

  comprising layers of only organic material and layers containing inorganic material · CPC title