Battery with novel components

• US 10,553,861 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2018
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HHeLi, LLC
• Original Assignee: HHeLi, LLC
• Inventors: Johnson, Paige L., Neff, Jonathan G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eoff, Anca
• Application Number:
  US15/949,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20180294479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 15/00 Compounds of gallium, indium or thallium
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 19/02 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 23/04 Oxides; Hydroxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 23/047 Titanium dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 25/02 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 29/00 Compounds of bismuth
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 30/004 Oxides; Hydroxides; Oxyacids C01G30/001 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 49/0027 containing one alkali metal
• CPC Class Codes: C01G 49/02 Oxides; Hydroxides C01G49/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/50 Solid solutions
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/54 one element only
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/64 Nanometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 nanometer
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/80 Particles consisting of a mixture of two or more inorganic phases
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/40 Electric properties
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/483 for non-aqueous cells H01M4/485 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/485 of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/505 of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/523 : for non-aqueous cells H01M4/525 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/525 : of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery cell having an anode or cathode comprising an acidified metal oxide (“AMO”) material, preferably in monodisperse nanoparticulate form 20 nm or less in size, having a pH<7 when suspended in a 5 wt % aqueous solution and a Hammett function H₀>12, at least on its surface.

Claims

1. A battery cell comprising an anode, an electrolyte, and a cathode, wherein one of the anode or cathode comprises at least one solid metal oxide nanomaterial including a surface that is acidic but not superacidic, the surface having a pH<

5 when re-suspended, after drying, in water at 5 wt % and a Hammett function H₀>

−

12.

2. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the solid metal oxide nanomaterial has at least one particle dimension <

100 nm in size.

3. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the solid metal oxide nanomaterial has at least one particle dimension <

20 nm in size.

4. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the solid metal oxide nanomaterial has at least one particle dimension <

10 nm in size.

5. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the solid metal oxide nanomaterial includes a substantially monodispersed nanoparticulate form.

6. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the surface has a pH<

4 when re-suspended, after drying, in water at 5 wt % and a Hammett function H₀>

−

12.

7. The battery cell of claim 1, wherein the surface has a pH<

3 when re-suspended, after drying, in water at 5 wt % and a Hammett function H₀>

−

12.

8. A battery cell having a cathode comprising a solid metal oxide nanomaterial being in a form M_mO_x/G, where M_m is a metal, O_x is total oxygen, M_mO_x is a metal oxide, G is at least one electron-withdrawing surface group, and “

/”

makes a distinction between the metal oxide and the electron-withdrawing surface group, the battery electrode solid metal oxide nanomaterial having a pH<

5 when re-suspended, after drying, in water at 5 wt % and a Hammett function H₀>

−

12, at least on its surface.

9. The battery cell of claim 8, wherein the solid metal oxide nanomaterial comprising the cathode includes a second different metal “

N_n”

, where n is greater than zero and no greater than 5.

10. The battery cell of claim 9, wherein the solid metal oxide nanomaterial comprising the cathode includes a third different metal “

R_r”

, where r is greater than zero and no greater than 5.

11. The battery cell of claim 8, further comprising an anode of a non-acidic material.

12. A battery cell having an anode comprising a solid metal oxide nanomaterial being in a form M_mO_x/G, where M_m is a metal, O_x is total oxygen, M_mO_x is a metal oxide, G is at least one electron-withdrawing surface group, and “

/”

makes a distinction between the metal oxide and the electron-withdrawing surface group, the battery electrode solid metal oxide nanomaterial having a pH<

5 when re-suspended, after drying, in water at 5 wt % and a Hammett function H₀>

−

12, at least on its surface.

13. The battery cell of claim 12, wherein the solid metal oxide nanomaterial comprising the cathode includes a second different metal “

N_n”

, where n is greater than zero and no greater than 5.

14. The battery cell of claim 12, wherein the solid metal oxide nanomaterial comprising the cathode includes a third different metal “

R_r”

, where r is greater than zero and no greater than 5.

15. The battery cell of claim 12, further comprising a cathode of a non-acidic material.