Ultrasound assisted in-situ formation of carbon/sulfur cathodes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9748572-B2
Application number	US-201313790521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 8, 2013
Priority date	Jun 18, 2012
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A process of preparing an E-carbon nanocomposite includes contacting a porous carbon substrate with an E-containing material to form a mixture; and sonicating the mixture to form the E-carbon nanocomposite; where E is S, Se, Se x S y , or Te, x is greater than 0; and y is greater than 0.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process of preparing an E-carbon nanocomposite, the process comprising:
contacting a porous carbon substrate with an E-containing material to form a mixture; and
sonicating the mixture to form the E-carbon nanocomposite;
wherein:
E is S, Se, or Te;

and wherein the step of sonicating produces elemental E.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the E-containing material is a salt.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the salt and the porous carbon substrate are contacted in an aqueous medium.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein the aqueous medium further comprises an acid.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein E-containing material comprises Na 2 S 2 O 3 , Li 2 S 2 O 3 , K 2 S 2 O 3 , (NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 3 , or a hydrated form of Na 2 S 2 O 3 , Li 2 S 2 O 3 , K 2 S 2 O 3 , or (NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 3 .

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the S, Se, or Te in the E-carbon nanocomposite is present from about 30 wt % to about 60 wt %.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon substrate comprises microporous carbon, mesoporous carbon, mesoporous microbeads, graphite, expandable graphite, graphene, carbon black, or carbon nanotubes.

8. A process of preparing a Li 2 S-carbon nanocomposite, the process comprising:
contacting a porous carbon substrate with a material containing lithium and sulfur in a solid state to form a mixture;
heating the mixture to form a heated mixture at a temperature; and
sonicating the heated mixture to form the Li 2 S-carbon nanocomposite.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the contacting and sonicating are performed under an inert atmosphere, or in a reducing atmosphere comprising an inert gas and hydrogen.

10. The process of claim 8 , wherein the temperature is from about 600° C. to about 1000° C.

11. The process of claim 8 , wherein the Li 2 S-carbon nanocomposite has from 20 wt % to 80 wt % sulfur.

12. The process of claim 8 , wherein the porous carbon substrate comprises microporous carbon, mesoporous carbon, mesoporous microbeads, graphite, expandable graphite, graphene, carbon black, or carbon nanotubes.

Assignees

• Uchicago Argonne Llc

Inventors

• Pol Vilas G
• Weng Wei
• Amine Khalil

Classifications

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M4/364

  as mixtures · CPC title

• H01M4/625

  Carbon or graphite · CPC title

• H01M4/583 Primary

  Carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx · CPC title

• H01M10/0569

  characterised by the solvents · CPC title