Sion Power Corporation

Moltech Corporation

Basf Se Corporation

Yuriy V Mikhaylik

Chariclea Scordilis-Kelley

John D Affinito

Igor P Kovalev

Michael G Laramie

Christopher J Sheehan

Terje A Skotheim

Holger Schneider

Veronika G Viner

Christopher T S Campbell

Klaus Leitner

Marina Safont-Sempere

Joern Kulisch

John Arthur Martens

Tracy Earl Kelley

William F Wilkening

Bala Sankaran

Lowell Dale Jones

David Child

Zhaohui Liao

Yordan Geronov

David L Coleman

Thomas Weiss

Hui Du

Ruediger Schmidt

Glenn Alan Hamblin

John Joseph Christopher Kopera

Shuguang Cao

Joseph Kubicki

Oliver Gronwald

Johan Ter Maat

Alexis Sheffield

Cathie Burgess

Ingrid Haupt

Ashley H Bulldis

James A Phipps

Martin Weber

Boris Aleksandrovich Trofimov

Nicole Janssen

Daniel G Milobar

Alexei B Gavrilov

Zhesheng Xu

Christine Bunte

Ang Xiao

Ursula Huber-Moulliet

Zhongchun Wang

Anna Cristadoro

Helmut Moehwald

Sven Fleischmann

Rüdiger Schmidt

Savannah V Burnside

Leonid I Boguslavsky

Karthikeyan Kumaresan

Raimund Pietruschka

Vladimir Oleshko

Li Qun Ren

Yordan M Geronov

Marina Safont Sempere

Jörn Kulisch

John A Martens

Igor Kovalev

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

Electrochemical cell and battery management systems are generally provided. The systems can comprise an electrochemical cell and a controller. In some cases, the controller can be used to control various aspects of the charge and/or discharge of the electrochemical cell. In some cases, the system can comprise one or more strings of cells.

Charge/discharge management in electrochemical cells, including partial cycle control

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.

Lithium metal electrodes, modular lithium deposition systems, and associated articles and methods are generally described. In some embodiments, the articles described herein may be suitable for use as, and/or in, lithium metal anodes. Similarly, the methods and/or modular lithium depositions systems described herein may be suitable for forming lithium metal anodes and/or components thereof.

Lithium metal electrodes

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

Articles and methods involving protective membranes for electrochemical cells are generally provided. In some embodiments, a composite protective layer comprising particles and a polymeric binder may be disposed on an electroactive material. The particles may be reactive with lithium, may capable of intercalating lithium, and/or may comprise intercalated lithium. In some embodiments, the electroactive material may be in the form of a first electroactive layer, and a second electroactive layer may be disposed on the composite protective layer. Certain embodiments relate to activating a composite protective layer by intercalating lithium into particles within the layer and/or by reacting the particles with lithium metal.

Protective membrane for electrochemical cells

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

An electrochemical cell management system comprising an electrochemical cell and at least one controller configured to control the cell such that, for at least a portion of a charge cycle, the cell is charged at a charging rate or current that is lower than a discharging rate or current of at least a portion of a previous discharge cycle. An electrochemical cell management method. An electrochemical cell management system comprising an electrochemical cell and at least one controller configured to induce a discharge of the cell before and/or after a charging step of the cell. An electrochemical cell management method. An electrochemical cell management system comprising an electrochemical cell and at least one controller configured to: monitor at least one characteristic of the cell and, based on the at least one characteristic of the cell, induce a discharge and/or control a charging rate or current of the cell.

System and method for operating a rechargeable electrochemical cell or battery

An electrode structure and its method of manufacture are disclosed. The disclosed electrode structures may be manufactured by depositing a first release layer on a first carrier substrate. A first protective layer may be deposited on a surface of the first release layer and a first electroactive material layer may then be deposited on the first protective layer.

Protected electrode structures

Articles and methods involving electrochemical cells and/or electrochemical cell preproducts comprising passivating agents are generally provided. In certain embodiments, an electrochemical cell includes first and second passivating agents. In some embodiments, an electrochemical cell may include a first electrode comprising a first surface, a second electrode (e.g., a counter electrode with respect to the first electrode) comprising a second surface, a first passivating agent configured and arranged to passivate the first surface, and a second passivating agent configured and arranged to passivate the second surface.

Passivating agents for electrochemical cells

Articles and methods including layers for protection of electrodes in electrochemical cells are provided. As described herein, a layer, such as a protective layer for an electrode, may comprise a plurality of particles (e.g., crystalline inorganic particles, amorphous inorganic particles). In some aspects, at least a portion of the plurality of particles (e.g., inorganic particles) are fused to one another. For instance, in some aspects, the layer may be formed by aerosol deposition or another suitable process that involves subjecting the particles to a relatively high velocity such that fusion of particles occurs during deposition. In some cases, the protective layer may be porous.

Protective layers for electrodes and 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

Articles containing electrodes and current collectors arranged such that at least one electrode can be electronically isolated from other components of the article and/or an electrochemical device, and associated systems and methods, are provided. In some cases, the articles contain substrates for which a change in volume of the substrate causes at least one electrode to become electronically isolated from other components of the article and/or an electrochemical device. In certain cases, heating the substrate causes the change in volume of the substrate.

Isolatable electrodes and associated articles and methods

Electrochemical devices that include porous layers, and associated methods, are generally described. In certain cases, the electrochemical device includes a first layer (e.g., a porous coating containing nanoparticles) between an anode and a separator, and a second layer (e.g., another porous coating containing nanoparticles) between a cathode and the separator. The first layer and/or the second layer may have a relatively high porosity, even after the application of an applied pressure to the electrochemical device. The presence of the first layer and the second layer in the electrochemical device may mitigate the occurrence of certain problematic phenomena during cycling of the electrochemical device.

Electrochemical devices including porous layers

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Yuriy V Mikhaylik