Sion Power Corporation

Basf Se Corporation

Igor P Kovalev

Yuriy V Mikhaylik

Chariclea Scordilis-Kelley

John D Affinito

Christopher T S Campbell

John Arthur Martens

William F Wilkening

Lowell Dale Jones

Thomas Weiss

Alexis Sheffield

Ashley H Bulldis

Cathie Burgess

Ruediger Schmidt

Helmut Moehwald

Zhesheng Xu

Ang Xiao

Alexander Panchenko

Sorin Ivanovici

Marina Safont-Sempere

Oliver Gronwald

Veronika G Viner

Anna Cristadoro

Zhaohui Liao

David L Coleman

Bastian Ewald

Rüdiger Schmidt

Christine Bunte

Savannah V Burnside

Ingrid Haupt

Helmut Möhwald

Raimund Pietruschka

Akmeemana Anoma Mudalige

Philip Hanefeld

Yurly V Mikhaylik

Vladimir Oleshko

John A Martens

Ashley H Bullids

Marina Safont Sempere

YurlyV Mikhaylik

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards increases in cycle life and stability of electrochemical cells. Electrolytes and electrochemical cells, including those for use in rechargeable lithium batteries, are generally provided. In some embodiments, the electrolytes and electrochemical cells comprise asymmetric sulfonamides. The electrolytes and electrochemical cells also comprise carbonates, according to some embodiments.

Electrolytes for lithium batteries

The present invention relates generally to lithium batteries, and more specifically, to electrolyte compositions within lithium batteries. Some aspects of the invention are related to an electrolyte for a lithium battery. In some embodiments, the electrolyte comprises a lithium salt, an organic solvent, and an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent that is different from the organic solvent. The aromatic hydrocarbon solvent may have limited solubility in the organic solvent and/or a limited solubility for lithium salt, e.g., such that the aromatic hydrocarbon solvent is capable of inducing phase separation of the electrolyte when present in a certain amount. In one set of embodiments, an electrolyte comprising one or more aromatic hydrocarbon may lead to an enhanced battery cycle life, reduced rate of electrolyte degradation, and improved low temperature performance. The subject matter disclosed herein involves, in some cases, the use of the electrolyte in a lithium battery.

Articles and methods related to electrochemical cells and/or electrochemical cell components (such as electrodes) comprising species comprising a conjugated, negatively-charged ring comprising a nitrogen atom and/or reaction products of such species are generally provided. The electrochemical cell may comprise an electrode (e.g., a cathode) comprising a protective layer comprising a species comprising a conjugated, negatively-charged ring comprising a nitrogen atom and/or a reaction product thereof.

Electrochemical cells and/or components thereof comprising nitrogen-containing species, and methods of forming them

Electrolytes, articles, and methods for reducing gases produced during the operation of an electrochemical cell are generally described. The inclusion of silylated sulfonic acid esters can reduce the amount of gases produced in an electrochemical cell (e.g., a battery).

Electrolytes for reduced gassing

Articles and methods including additives in electrochemical cells, are generally provided. As described herein, such electrochemical cells may comprise an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, and optionally a separator. In some embodiments, at least one of the anode, the cathode, the electrolyte, and/or the optional separator may comprise an additive and/or additive precursor. For instance, in some cases, the electrochemical cell comprises an electrolyte and an additive and/or additive precursor that is soluble with and/or is present in the electrolyte. In some embodiments, the additive precursor comprises a disulfide bond. In certain embodiments, the additive is a carbon disulfide salt. In some cases, the electrolyte may comprise a nitrate.

Additives for electrochemical cells

The present invention relates to the application of a force to enhance the performance of an electrochemical cell. The force may comprise, in some instances, an anisotropic force with a component normal to an active surface of the anode of the electrochemical cell. In the embodiments described herein, electrochemical cells (e.g., rechargeable batteries) may undergo a charge/discharge cycle involving deposition of metal (e.g., lithium metal) on a surface of the anode upon charging and reaction of the metal on the anode surface, wherein the metal diffuses from the anode surface, upon discharging. The uniformity with which the metal is deposited on the anode may affect cell performance. For example, when lithium metal is redeposited on an anode, it may, in some cases, deposit unevenly forming a rough surface. The roughened surface may increase the amount of lithium metal available for undesired chemical reactions which may result in decreased cycling lifetime and/or poor cell performance. The application of force to the electrochemical cell has been found, in accordance with the invention, to reduce such behavior and to improve the cycling lifetime and/or performance of the cell.

Application of force in electrochemical cells

Electrolyte materials for use in electrochemical cells, electrochemical cells comprising the same, and methods of making such materials and cells, are generally described. In some embodiments, the materials, processes, and uses described herein relate to electrochemical cells comprising sulfur and lithium such as, for example, lithium sulfur batteries.

Electrolyte materials for use in electrochemical cells

Articles and methods including composite layers for protection of electrodes in electrochemical cells are provided. In some embodiments, the composite layers comprise a polymeric material and a plurality of particles.

Ion-conductive composite for electrochemical cells

Methods and articles relating to separation of electrolyte compositions within lithium batteries are provided. The lithium batteries described herein may include an anode having lithium as the active anode species and a cathode having sulfur as the active cathode species. Suitable electrolytes for the lithium batteries can comprise a heterogeneous electrolyte including a first electrolyte solvent (e.g., dioxolane (DOL)) that partitions towards the anode and is favorable towards the anode (referred to herein as an 'anode-side electrolyte solvent') and a second electrolyte solvent (e.g., 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME)) that partitions towards the cathode and is favorable towards the cathode (and referred to herein as an 'cathode-side electrolyte solvent'). By separating the electrolyte solvents during operation of the battery such that the anode-side electrolyte solvent is present disproportionately at the anode and the cathode-side electrolyte solvent is present disproportionately at the cathode, the battery can benefit from desirable characteristics of both electrolyte solvents (e.g., relatively low lithium reactivity of the anode-side electrolyte solvent and relatively high polysulfide solubility of the cathode-side electrolyte solvent).

Separation of electrolytes

Electrochemical cells, and more specifically, release systems for the fabrication of electrochemical cells are described. In particular, release layer arrangements, assemblies, methods and compositions that facilitate the fabrication of electrochemical cell components, such as electrodes, are presented. In some embodiments, methods of fabricating an electrode involve the use of a release layer to separate portions of the electrode from a carrier substrate on which the electrode was fabricated. For example, an intermediate electrode assembly may include, in sequence, an electroactive material layer, a current collector layer, a release layer, and a carrier substrate. The carrier substrate can facilitate handling of the electrode during fabrication and/or assembly, but may be released from the electrode prior to commercial use.

Release system for electrochemical cells

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Vail, AZ, United States of America

Igor P Kovalev