Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Beijing University of Technology

Karlsruher Institut Fur Technologie

Oscar Tutusaus

Rana Mohtadi

Timothy Sean Arthur

Fuminori Mizuno

Nikhilendra Singh

Chen Ling

Kensuke Takechi

Ruigang Zhang

Douglas Robert MacFarlane

Ruidong Yang

Mega Kar

Maximilian Fichtner

Emily S Nelson

Tyler J Carter

Hiroko Kuwata

Zhiron Zhao-Karger

Michael John Counihan

An electrolyte includes a composite salt mixture formed from a halogen-free closo-borate salt and a halogenated closo-borate salt. The halogen-free closo-borate salt includes a first cation selected from Li, Na, Mg, or Ca, and a closo-borate anion with the structure [BHR], [CBHR], [CBHR], [CBHR], or [CBHR], and a second cation selected from Li, Na, Mg, or Ca, and a halogenated closo-borate anion with the structure [BHRX], [CBHRX], [CBHRX], [CBHRX], or [CBHRX]. The parameter y is an integer within a range of 6 to 12, z is an integer within a range of 0 to y, t is an integer within a range of 0 to (y−1), z+i is an integer within a range of 0 to y, t+j is an integer within a range of 0 to y−1, R is a linear, branched-chain, or cyclic C1-C18 alkyl or fluoroalkyl group, and X is F, Cl, Br, and/or I.

Electrolytes with low cationic mobility activation energies

An anode composite (AC) for use in an anode for solid-state lithium batteries includes particles of a silicon active material, a carbon additive for electrical conductivity, and a solid electrolyte that combines solid elastic electrolyte (SEE) with a solid non-elastic electrolyte. The solid non-elastic electrolyte is a lithium thiophosphate or other ceramic lithium ion conductor and the SEE includes an ammonium or phosphonium ion closo-borate doped with a lithium salt. The SEE is diffused onto the combined particles uniformly by heating, where pressing achieves about 100% relative density at modest pressures. The anode displays high stability upon charge-discharge cycles of a solid-state lithium battery prepared with the AC layer, appearing to maintain stable intrinsic and extrinsic interfaces.

Ceramic-soft composites for solid-state silicon anodes

An ultrahigh closo-borate concentration solid-state electrolyte is presented that is a combined salt of an alkali metal or alkali earth metal closo-borate and conductivity enhancing SISE. The combined salt allows significantly higher conductivities in the solid state than the included alkali metal or alkali earth metal closo-borate. The combined salt can be prepared by mechanical combination or combination in solution. The salts can be used in solid-state electrochemical devices.

Electrolytes with ultrahigh closo-borate concentrations

3-D magnesium voltaic cells have a magnesium anode coated on multiple opposing surfaces with a continuous protective/electrolyte layer that is ionically conductive and electronically insulating. The resulting protected 3-D magnesium anode is coated on multiple opposing surfaces with a continuous cathode layer that is electronically and ionically conductive, and includes a magnesium storage medium. Suitable magnesium anodes, in particular, magnesium foam anodes, can be made by pulsed galvanostatic deposition of magnesium on a copper substrate. The protective layer can be formed by electropolymerization of a suitable methylacrylate ester. The continuous cathode layer can be a slurry cathode having powders of an electronic conductor and a reversible magnesium storage component suspended in a magnesium electrolyte solution.

3D magnesium battery and method of making the same

A solid-state electrolyte for a lithium battery that includes a hard-inorganic electrolyte and at least two soft electrolytes (SEs), where the melting point of the solid-state electrolyte is less than the melting point of a highest melting SE included in the solid-state electrolyte. The SEs include ammonium or phosphonium salts of closo-borates and can include lithium closo-borates salts. The hard-inorganic electrolyte is a lithium thiophosphate (LPS), where the plurality of SEs is melt-diffused throughout the homogeneous combined hard-inorganic electrolyte and a plurality of SEs at a temperature below the highest melting point SE, generally below 100&#xb0; C. The relative density of the solid-state electrolyte is greater than 90 percent.

Uniform organic-ceramic composites including a hard-inorganic lithium ion electrolyte and a plurality of soft electrolytes, solid-state batteries including the same, and methods of preparing the same

Electrolytes and electrochemical cells include a novel ionic liquid having a quaternary cation and a boron cluster anion. In some versions, the boron cluster anion will be a functionalized or unfunctionalized icosahedral boranyl or carboranyl anion. Electrochemical cells have an electrolyte including the ionic liquid. In some versions, the ionic liquid is used as a solvent to dissolve an ionic shuttle salt for transport of active material, with an optional co-solvent. Methods to synthesize the ionic liquid include contacting a boron cluster salt with a quaternary salt to form the ionic liquid by a metathesis reaction.

Preparation of ionic liquids based on boron clusters

An effectively solvent-free alkali metal or alkali earth metal closo-borate salt is prepared in the presence of a non-aqueous solvent where the solvent can be removed to levels below one mole percent of the salt. The process involves the exchange of cations with a closo-borate anion via an acid-base process or a metathesis process. The solvent is removed from the alkali metal or alkali earth metal closo-borate salt by heating. The temperature can be greater than the melting point of the salt but lower than temperatures where decomposition occurs.

Method for synthesis of solvent-free lithium boron cluster based salts

Soft solid-state electrolyte compositions for secondary electrochemical cell include a metal salt dispersed or doped in a soft solid matrix. Methods for synthesizing the compositions include doping a solid matrix with a metal salt. The matrix includes an organic cation and a first boron cluster anion. Methods for optimizing the electrolytes include construction of electrolyte libraries and screening of the libraries for a desired property.

Method for synthesizing novel soft materials based on boron compounds

A solid-state electrolyte is presented that is a combined salt of an alkali metal or alkali earth metal closo-borate and alkali metal or alkali earth metal conductivity enhancing anion salt. The combined salt allows significantly higher conductivities in the solid state than the included alkali metal or alkali earth metal closo-borate. The combined salt can be prepared by mechanical combination or combination in solution. The salts can be used in solid-state electrochemical devices.

Enhanced solid closo-borane electrolytes for batteries

The present disclosure relates to a composite material of formula (I): (LPS)(OIPC)wherein each of a and b is a mass % value from 1% to 99% such that a+b is 100%; (LPS) is a material selected from the group consisting of LiPS, LiPS, LiGePS, and a material of formula (II): xLiS.yPS.(100&#x2212;x&#x2212;y)LiX; wherein X is I, Cl or Br, each of x and y is a mass % value of from 33.3% to 50% such that x+y is from 75% to 100% and the total mass % of LiS, PSand LiX is 100%; and (OIPC) is a salt of a cation and a closo-borane cluster anion.

Ceramic soft composites for solid-state batteries

Electrochemical devices and processes for forming them include an anode having magnesium, a cathode, and an electrolyte in contact with the anode and the cathode. The electrolyte includes a carboranyl magnesium salt and a mixed ether solvent in which the carboranyl magnesium salt is dissolved. The mixed ether solvent includes a first ether solvent and a second ether solvent that is different from the first ether solvent.

High concentration electrolyte for magnesium battery having carboranyl magnesium salt in mixed ether solvent

Gel electrolytes and other solid electrolytes for magnesium batteries include a monocarboranyl magnesium salt and an ether solvent having a relatively high boiling point. A polymer forms a gel or other solid matrix throughout which the monocarboranyl magnesium salt and ether solvent are uniformly distributed. Methods for making such electrolytes include combining solutions of monocarboranyl magnesium salt and polymer, followed by selectively removing the solvent in which polymer has high solubility, forcing gel formation.

Gel electrolyte for use in a magnesium battery

Electrochemical cells having ionic liquid-containing electrolytes

A magnesium-ion battery containing an anode of magnesium metal, a cathode, capable of absorption and release of Na ions; and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a sodium ion salt selected from NaHMDS, NaPFand a sodium carborane and a magnesium ion salt selected from PhMgCl&#x2014;AlCl(APC), a Mg carborane, and MgHMDS&#x2014;Cl is provided.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Oscar Tutusaus