Low-temperature continuous process to derive size-controlled lithium ion anodes and cathodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9666857-B2
Application number	US-201314648337-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2013
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a process to synthesize nanostructures of a uniform size distribution and/or morphology, nanostructures resulting therefrom, and the use of the nanostructures in energy storage devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of synthesizing size and/or morphologically controlled nanostructures comprising
mixing a first solution comprising a first metal salt of a transition metal sulfate and a second solution comprising a second metal salt of lithium hydroxide and a third solution comprising a polymer to form a reaction mixture, wherein the first solution and second solution comprise a triethylene glycol and H 2 O mixture and the third solution comprises an aqueous buffer;
adjusting the pH of the reaction mixture; and
depositing the reaction mixture onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is heated to room temperature or greater for at least 2 seconds under conditions for nucleation and growth of nanostructures on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transition metal salt comprises a transition metal selected from the group consisting of manganese, iron, titanium, zinc, copper, cobalt and nickel.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the transition metal is iron.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first solution and second solution comprise one or more polar solvents.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein (a) the concentration of the first metal salt is equal to the concentration of the second metal salt; (b) the concentration of the first metal salt is greater than the concentration of the second metal salt; or (c) the concentration of the first metal salt is less than the concentration of the second metal salt.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the reaction mixture is adjusted with nonaqueous polyprotic acid.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the nonaqueous polyprotic acid is phosphoric acid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the reaction mixture is adjusted with aqueous polyprotic acid.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the aqueous polyprotic acid is aqueous sulfuric acid.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is heated at room temperature or greater for at least 30 seconds.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the substrate is heated at a temperature between 150° C. to 200° C. for 30 seconds to 12 hours.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method produces nanostructures that have a uniform size distribution and/or uniform morphology on the substrate.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the nanostructures have diameters of less than 100 nm.

14. The method of claim 12 , where the morphology is selected from the group consisting of nanoparticles, nanobelts, nanocubes, and nanoprisms.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is conductive or non-conductive.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is polyvinyl pyrrolidone or polyacrylic acid.

17. An energy storing device comprising nanostructures made by the method of claim 1 .

18. The energy storing device of claim 17 , wherein the energy storing device is a Li-insertion battery.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Kisailus David
• Zhu Jianxin

Classifications

• H01M10/0525

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

• H01M4/131 Primary

  Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx · CPC title

• H01M4/1391

  of electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx · CPC title

• H01M4/0419 Primary

  involving spraying · CPC title

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title