Ceramic/polymer matrix for electrode protection in electrochemical cells, including rechargeable lithium batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994959-B2
Application number	US-201414323269-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2014
Priority date	Jul 3, 2013
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

Articles and methods for forming ceramic/polymer composite structures for electrode protection in electrochemical cells, including rechargeable lithium batteries, are presented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrode for an electrochemical cell, comprising:
a base layer comprising an active electrode species; and
a protective structure positioned to protect the electrode from an electrolyte when the electrode is arranged in the electrochemical cell, the protective structure having a first side facing the active electrode species, and a second side arranged to face the electrolyte, wherein the protective structure comprises:
at least a first and second composite layer, each layer comprising:
a polymer matrix having a plurality of cavities; and
a ceramic material filling at least two cavities of the plurality of cavities; and

a continuous ceramic material layer positioned between the first and second composite layers,
wherein each ceramic-filled cavity is in ionic communication with the base layer, wherein the protective structure has an average ionic conductivity of at least 10 −7 S/cm, and wherein the cavities in the second composite layer are aligned with the cavities in the first composite layer.

2. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the protective structure is impervious to the electrolyte.

3. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cavities are arranged in a patterned array within the matrix.

4. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein a gel layer is positioned adjacent the protective structure on a side opposite the base layer.

5. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode comprises at least a third composite layer comprising a polymer matrix having a plurality of cavities and a ceramic material filling at least two cavities of the plurality of cavities.

6. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the weight of the polymer in the protective structure is at least 2% of the total weight of the protective structure.

7. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the sum of the surface areas of the ceramic-filled cavities to the surface area of the electrode is at least 0.3.

8. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is an anode.

9. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the active electrode species comprises lithium.

10. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix is non-ionically conductive.

11. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material is conductive to lithium ions.

12. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of Li 2 O, Li 3 N, Al 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , SiO 2 , CeO 2 , Al 2 TiO 5 , oxy-sulfide glass, and combinations thereof.

13. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the protective structure has a thickness of at least 500 nm.

14. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the elastic modulus of the polymer matrix is at least 2 times smaller than the elastic modulus of the ceramic material.

15. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein each cavity of the plurality of cavities is filled with the same material.

16. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein an average largest cross-sectional dimension of the plurality of cavities is less than or equal to 10 microns.

17. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein an average cross-sectional dimension of the plurality of cavities is greater than or equal to 5 nm.

18. An electrode for an electrochemical cell, comprising:
a base layer comprising an active electrode species; and
a protective structure including:
at least a first composite layer and a second composite layer, each comprising a patterned array of cavities within a matrix, wherein a polymer or a ceramic material forms the matrix, and the other of the polymer and the ceramic material fills at least a portion of the cavities; and
a continuous ceramic material layer positioned between the first and second composite layers,

wherein the protective structure has an average ionic conductivity of at least 10 −7 S/cm, wherein the cavities in the second composite layer are aligned with the cavities in the first composite layer, and wherein the protective structure is positioned to protect the electrode from an electrolyte when the electrode is arranged in the electrochemical cell.

19. The electrode of claim 18 , wherein the protective structure is impervious to the electrolyte.

20. A method of fabricating a protected electrode, the method comprising:
forming a base layer comprising an active electrode species attached to a protective structure, wherein the protective structure is formed by:
positioning on a substrate at least one layer comprising a first matrix, the first matrix comprising a first polymer or a first ceramic material, and the first matrix comprising a patterned array of cavities;
filling at least a portion of the cavities in the first matrix with the other of the first polymer and the first ceramic material to form a first composite layer;
positioning a continuous ceramic material layer on the first layer of the matrix;
positioning on the continuous ceramic material layer at least a second layer comprising a second matrix, the second matrix comprising a second polymer or a second ceramic material, and the second matrix comprising a patterned array of cavities;
filling at least a portion of the cavities in the second matrix with the other of the second polymer and the second ceramic material to form a second composite layer,
wherein the composite layer has an average ionic conductivity of at least 10 −7 S/cm, wherein the cavities in the second composite layer are aligned with the cavities in the first composite layer, and wherein the protective structure is positioned to protect the electrode from an electrolyte when the electrode is arranged in an electrochemical cell.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the composite layer is impervious to the electrolyte.

Assignees

• Sion Power Corp

Inventors

• Laramie Michael G
• Mikhaylik Yuriy V
• Phipps James A
• Viner Veronika G

Classifications

• H01M50/491

  Porosity · CPC title

• H01M4/0407

  by coating on an electrolyte layer · CPC title

• H01M4/366

  as layered products · CPC title

• H01M4/0421

  involving vapour deposition · CPC title

• H01M4/382

  Lithium (H01M4/405 takes precedence) · CPC title