William Marsh Rice University

Zeta Energy LLC

Rodrigo Villegas Salvatierra

James Mitchell Tour

Abdul-Rahman O Raji

Tuo Wang

Gladys Anahi Lopez Silva

Abdul-Rahman Olabode Raji

Duy X Luong

Junwei Sha

Dante Zakhidov

Abdul-Ramahn O Raji

Energy-storage devices in which the energy storage device has an electrode that includes graphitic carbon, carbon nanotubes, and a metallic-lithium layer between the carbon nanotubes and the energy-storage device further has an electrolyte that is in contact with the metallic lithium layer. The methods of manufacturing the energy-storage devices include that the energy storage device is made by providing electrodes that have a layer of carbon nanotubes adjacent additional carbon, applying a layer of lithium between the carbon nanotubes in the layer of carbon nanotubes of at least one of the electrodes, and providing an electrolyte between the electrodes.

Energy-storage devices having electrodes containing carbon nanotubes and methods of making same

Described is a lithium-sulfur electrochemical cell in which the anode and the cathode are each equipped with a respective solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer that inhibits lithium side reactions. On the cathode side, the SEI layer inhibits the shuttle effect by retaining soluble polysulfides within a cathode active layer while releasing and admitting lithium ions to and from the electrolyte. The cathode SEI is deposited, during cell formation, by depositing a layer of an anode reductant (e.g., metallic lithium) on the surface of the cathode. The resultant electrically conductive layer allows electrons to reduce adjacent electrolyte and form the cathode SEI from electrolyte decomposition products.

Cathode with layers of anode reductant and solid-electrolyte interphase

Systems and methods that utilize a separator coated by particles for Li dendrite detection in an ordinary two-electrode battery system. The particles can be red phosphorus (RP) particles and/or other particles that are poor electronic conductors, are able to react with Li, and will form an insoluble product with Li, such as silicon, germanium, arsenic, metal oxides, metal halides, metal chalcogenides, chalcogenides, and LiMEO(M=metal, E=nonmetal, O=oxygen, x≥0, y≥0, z≥0). These other particles can be used by themselves or in combination with one another. No additional electrode is needed, and the presence of Li dendrites can be detected simply based on the voltage profile during the charging step.

Systems and methods of detecting Li dendrites

Alkali metal-sulfur cells and batteries with cathode layers that store alkali metal charge carriers (e.g., lithium ions) in agglomerates of sulfurized carbon. The cathode layers lack costly and environmentally unfriendly nickel and cobalt. The cathode layers are composites that include agglomerates of sulfurized-carbon particles in a conductive binder and interconnected by sp-bonded carbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes or nanoribbons, that extend within the agglomerates and between the sulfurized-carbon particles.

Sulfurized carbon cathodes

A cathode active surface includes a conductive framework of tangled nanofibers with lumps of amorphous carbon-sulfur distributed within them. The amorphous carbon-sulfur lumps are of carbon bonded to sulfur via carbon-sulfur chemical bonds and to the nanofibers via chemical bonds. The strength of the chemical bonds secures sulfur atoms within electrode to suppress the formation of undesirable polysulfides when in contact with an electrolyte. The tangled nanofibers bind the amorphous carbon-sulfur lumps and enhance thermal and electrical conductivities.

Sulfurized-carbon cathode with conductive carbon framework

Anodes, cathodes, and separators for batteries (electrochemical energy storage devices). The anodes are Li metal anodes having lithiated carbon films (Li-MWCNT) (as dendrite suppressors and protective coatings for the Li metal anodes). The cathodes are sulfurized carbon cathodes. The separators are GNR-coated (or modified) separators. The invention includes each of these separately (as well as in combination both with each other and with other anodes, cathodes, and separators) and the methods of making each of these separately (and in combination). The invention further includes a battery that uses at least one of (a) the anode having a lithiated carbon film, (b) the sulfurized carbon cathode, and (c) the GNR-modified separator in the anode/cathode/separator arrangement. For instance, a full battery can include the sulfurized carbon cathode in combination with the Li-MWCNT anode or a full battery can include the sulfurized carbon cathode in combination with other anodes (such as a GCNT-Li anode).

Anodes, cathodes, and separators for batteries and methods to make and use same

Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making a carbon nanotube hybrid material by depositing a catalyst solution onto a carbon-based material, and growing carbon nanotubes on the carbon-based material such that the grown carbon nanotubes become covalently linked to the carbon-based material through carbon-carbon bonds. The catalyst solution includes a metal component (e.g., iron) and a buffer component (e.g., aluminum) that may be in the form of particles. The metal component of the particle may be in the form of a metallic core or metallic oxide core while the buffer component may be on a surface of the metal component in the form of metal or metal oxides. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to the catalytic particles and carbon nanotube hybrid materials. The carbon nanotube hybrid materials of the present disclosure may be incorporated as electrodes (e.g., anodes or cathodes) in energy storage devices.

Facile preparation of carbon nanotube hybrid materials by catalyst solutions

An electrochemical cell with a lithium-metal anode that suppresses dendrite formation and can be fabricated using a simple, inexpensive, and solvent-free process. The anode is coated with a layer of disordered nanomaterial, saturated with lithium ions, that suppresses dendrite formation during charging. The dendrite-suppression coating can be applied simply using a dry, abrasive technique in which the lithium-metal anode is alternately abraded to roughen the surface and polished using a polishing powder of a material that alloys with the lithium.

Alkali-metal anode with alloy coating applied by friction

Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to electrodes that include a plurality of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and a metal associated with the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The vertically aligned carbon nanotubes may be in the form of a graphene-carbon nanotube hybrid material that includes a graphene film covalently linked to the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The metal may become reversibly associated with the carbon nanotubes in situ during electrode operation and lack any dendrites or mossy aggregates. The metal may be in the form of a non-dendritic or non-mossy coating on surfaces of the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. The metal may also be infiltrated within bundles of the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes. Additional embodiments pertain to energy storage devices that contain the electrodes of the present disclosure. Further embodiments pertain to methods of forming said electrodes by applying a metal to a plurality of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Rodrigo Villegas Salvatierra