Electrodes and electrochemical cells employing metal nanoparticles synthesized via a novel reagent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9761904-B2
Application number	US-201414219836-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2014
Priority date	Oct 4, 2013
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

Electrodes employing as active material metal nanoparticles synthesized by a novel route are provided. The nanoparticle synthesis is facile and reproducible, and provides metal nanoparticles of very small dimension and high purity for a wide range of metals. The electrodes utilizing these nanoparticles thus may have superior capability. Electrochemical cells employing said electrodes are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A magnesium electrochemical cell having;
a magnesium metal cathode;
an electrolyte solution of 3:1 LiBH 4 :Mg(BH 4 ) 2 in 1,2-dimethoxyethane;
an anode, the anode comprising tin nanoparticles, the tin nanoparticles having been synthesized by a method comprising:
adding surfactant to a reagent complex according to a formula,
M 0 .X y ,

wherein M 0 is zero-valent tin, X is a hydride, and y is an integral or fractional value greater than zero, and wherein the magnesium electrochemical cell maintains an electric potential equal to at least 80% of a theoretical electric potential for the cell during a first cycle magnesiation performed at 50° C. and a C-rate of C/200, and for a duration corresponding to at least 75% of a specific capacity for the anode.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the electrode is an insertion-type anode.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the tin nanoparticles have an average maximum dimension less than about 50 nm.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the tin nanoparticles have an average maximum dimension less than about 20 nm.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 wherein the tin nanoparticles have an average maximum dimension of about 10 nm or less.

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 having an operative electrochemical reaction according to a reaction:
Sn+2Mg 2 ++4 e − Mg 2 Sn.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Eng & Mfg North America Inc

Inventors

• Singh Nikhilendra
• Rowe Michael Paul

Classifications

• B22F1/054

  Nanosized particles · CPC title

• B22F9/04

  starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C) · CPC title

• C22C13/00

  Alloys based on tin · CPC title

• H01M4/387

  Tin or alloys based on tin · CPC title

• H01M4/9091

  Unsupported catalytic particles; loose particulate catalytic materials, e.g. in fluidised state · CPC title