Composite for lithium air battery, method of preparing the composite, and lithium air battery employing positive electrode including the composite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9780386-B2
Application number	US-201514818665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2015
Priority date	Aug 8, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A composite for a lithium air battery, wherein the composite is represented by Formula 1:

MC x N (1−x)   Formula 1
wherein M in Formula 1 is at least one selected from a metal element and a metalloid element, and 0<x<1.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite for a lithium air battery, wherein the composite is at least one selected from TiC 0.1 N 0.9 , TiC 0.2 N 0.8 , TiC 0.3 N 0.7 , TiC 0.5 N 0.5 , TiC 0.7 N 0.3 , TiC 0.8 N 0.2 , TiC 0.9 N 0.1 , WC 0.1 N 0.9 , WC 0.2 N 0.8 , WC 0.3 N 0.7 , WC 0.5 N 0.5 , WC 0.7 N 0.3 , WC 0.8 N 0.2 , WC 0.9 N 0.1 , MoC 0.1 N 0.9 , MoC 0.2 N 0.8 , MoC 0.3 N 0.7 , MoC 0.5 N 0.5 , MoC 0.7 N 0.3 , Mo 0.8 N 0.2 , and MoC 0.9 N 0.1 .

2. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite further comprises a carbonaceous coating layer.

3. The composite of claim 2 , wherein the carbonaceous coating layer comprises at least one selected from amorphous carbon, crystalline carbon, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, and carbon rods.

4. The composite of claim 2 , wherein a thickness of the coating layer is in a range of about 1 nanometer to about 10 nanometers.

5. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite has a crystalline structure.

6. The composite of claim 1 , wherein an average particle size of the composite is in a range of about 10 nanometers to about 100 nanometers, when determined by X-ray diffraction analysis using a Cu—Kα radiation.

7. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite is porous and has an average pore diameter that is in a range of about 1 nanometer to about 200 nanometers.

8. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite is in a form of a prismatic shape.

9. The composite of claim 8 , wherein the composite is in a form of a rectangular prism shape.

10. The composite of claim 8 , wherein the composite is in a form of a cube shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

11. The composite of claim 8 , wherein the Ti, W, or Mo, the C element, and the N element of the composite are distributed regularly in a crystalline nanostructure.

12. The composite of claim 8 , wherein the composite includes M-C, M-N, and C—N covalent bonds in a crystalline structure, wherein M is selected from Ti, W, and Mo.

13. A method of preparing a composite for a lithium air battery,
wherein the composite is at least one selected from TiC 0.1 N 0.9 , TiC 0.2 N 0.8 , TiC 0.3 N 0.7 , TiC 0.5 N 0.5 , TiC 0.7 N 0.3 , TiC 0.8 N 0.2 , TiC 0.9 N 0.1 , WC 0.1 N 0.9 , WC 0.2 N 0.8 , WC 0.3 N 0.7 , WC 0.5 N 0.5 , WC 0.7 N 0.3 , WC 0.8 N 0.2 , WC 0.9 N 0.1 , MoC 0.1 N 0.9 , MoC 0.2 N 0.8 , MoC 0.3 N 0.7 , MoC 0.5 N 0.5 , MoC 0.7 N 0.3 , Mo 0.8 N 0.2 , and MoC 0.9 N 0.1 ,
the method comprising:
polymerizing a composition comprising a polymeric monomer, a compound including a formyl group, a precursor comprising at least one selected from a metal element and a metalloid element, and a solvent to form a polymeric intermediate;
drying the polymeric intermediate at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 100° C. to form a dried polymeric intermediate; and
heat-treating the dried polymeric intermediate to prepare the composite.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the polymeric monomer is at least one selected from melamine, urea, hydrogen cyanide, cyromazine, acetonitrile, acrylonitrile, resorcinol, phenol, fururyl alcohol, biphenyl, and sucrose.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the compound including a formyl group is at least one selected from formaldehyde, formic acid, formamide, and paraformaldehyde.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the composition is prepared by
mixing a first solvent with a precursor including at least one selected from a metal element and a metalloid element to form a precursor mixture; and then
adding the precursor mixture to a mixture comprising the polymeric monomer, the compound including the formyl group, and a second solvent to form the composition.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:
adding a nitrogen precursor to the composition before the polymerizing.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the heat-treating is performed at a temperature in a range of about 400° C. to about 1,400° C. under an inert gas atmosphere.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein an amount of the compound including the formyl group is in a range of about 1 mole to about 100 moles, based on 1 mole of the polymeric monomer.

20. A lithium air battery comprising a positive electrode comprising the composite of claim 1 .

21. The lithium air battery of claim 20 , wherein the positive electrode further comprises a carbonaceous material.

22. A positive electrode comprising:
a current collector; and
a composite, wherein the composite is at least one selected from TiC 0.1 N 0.9 , TiC 0.2 N 0.8 , TiC 0.3 N 0.7 , TiC 0.5 N 0.5 , TiC 0.7 N 0.3 , TiC 0.8 N 0.2 , TiC 0.9 N 0.1 , WC 0.1 N 0.9 , WC 0.2 N 0.8 , WC 0.3 N 0.7 , WC 0.5 N 0.5 , WC 0.7 N 0.3 , WC 0.8 N 0.2 , WC 0.9 N 0.1 , MoC 0.1 N 0.9 , MoC 0.2 N 0.8 , MoC 0.3 N 0.7 , MoC 0.5 N 0.5 , MoC 0.7 N 0.3 , Mo 0.8 N 0.2 , and MoC 0.9 N 0.1 represented by Formula 1.

23. The positive electrode of claim 22 , further comprising a binder.

24. The positive electrode of claim 23 , wherein the composite further comprises an electrolyte.

25. The positive electrode of claim 24 , wherein the electrolyte is disposed within one or more pores of the composite.

26. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is disposed within one or more pores of the composite.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kwon Soonchul
• Ham Dongjin
• Roev Victor
• Im Dongmin

Classifications

• H01M12/08

  composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type · CPC title

• C01P2004/03

  obtained by SEM · CPC title

• H01M4/8605

  Porous electrodes · CPC title

• C01P2006/16

  Pore diameter · CPC title

• C01P2004/86

  Thin layer coatings, i.e. the coating thickness being less than 0.1 time the particle radius · CPC title