UChicago Argonne, LLC

Lynn Trahey

Michael M Thackeray

John Thomas Vaughey

Christopher S Johnson

Sun-Ho Kang

Multi-component intermetallic negative electrodes prepared by electrochemical deposition for non-aqueous lithium cells and batteries are disclosed. More specifically, the invention relates to composite intermetallic electrodes comprising two or more compounds containing metallic or metaloid elements, at least one element of which can react with lithium to form binary, ternary, quaternary or higher order compounds, these compounds being in combination with one or more other metals that are essentially inactive toward lithium and act predominantly, but not necessarily exclusively, to the electronic conductivity of, and as current collection agent for, the electrode. The invention relates more specifically to negative electrode materials that provide an operating potential between 0.05 and 2.0 V vs. metallic lithium.

Multi-component intermetallic electrodes for lithium batteries

This invention provides a lithium-oxygen or lithium-air electrochemical cell comprising a negative electrode, an electrolyte, and a porous activated positive electrode comprising lithium-rich electrocatalytic materials suitable for use in lithium-oxygen (air) cells and batteries. The activated positive electrode is produced by activating a precursor electrode formed from a material comprising one or more metal oxide compounds of general formula xLiO.yMO, in which 0&#x3c;x&#x2266;4, 0&#x3c;y&#x2266;1, and 0&#x3c;z&#x2266;3, in which M is typically, but not exclusively, a transition metal, excluding LiMnOas a sole metal oxide compound in the precursor electrode. LiO is extracted from the above-mentioned precursors to activate the electrode either by electrochemical methods or by chemical methods. The invention extends to batteries containing such electrochemical cells.

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Clarendon Hills, IL, United States of America

Lynn Trahey