Three dimensional battery

• US 20080176139A1
• Filed: 01/22/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Physical Sciences Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Physical Sciences Incorporated
• Inventors: White, Kevin, Lennhoff, John, Salley, Edward, Horn, Quinn
• Granted Patent: US 7,709,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/213
• 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 10/0565 Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/021 Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/02 Electrodes composed of, or comprising, active material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/131 Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1393 of electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx
• 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 4/525 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/948 Energy storage/generating using nanostructure, e.g. fuel cell, battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49115 including coating or impregnating

Abstract

A battery device includes a cathode current collector and an anode current collector. A fibrous electrode forms a structure defining a plurality of pores. A first portion of the fibrous electrode is in contact with a current collector. An electrolytic polymer is electrodeposited on the fibrous electrode to provide substantial uniform coverage of fibers forming the fibrous electrode. A plurality of electrode particles are disposed within the plurality of pores and separated from the fibrous electrode by the electrolytic polymer.

Claims

1. A battery device comprising:

a cathode current collector defining a first surface of the battery device;

a fibrous cathode forming a structure defining a plurality of pores, a first portion of the fibrous cathode being in contact with the cathode current collector;

an electrolytic polymer electrodeposited on the fibrous cathode to provide substantial uniform coverage of fibers forming the fibrous cathode;

a plurality of anode particles disposed within the plurality of pores and separated from the fibrous cathode by the electrolytic polymer; and

an anode current collector defining a second surface of the battery device.

2. The battery device of claim 1 wherein the fibrous cathode is an electrospun mesh of ceramic fibers.

3. The battery device of claim 2 wherein the ceramic fibers have a thickness between about 50 nanometers and 1,000 nanometers.

4. The battery device of claim 1 wherein the fibrous cathode exhibits substantial fiber to fiber contact to provide an electrically unified mesh.

5. The battery device of claim 1 wherein the battery is a lithium based battery device.

6. The battery device of claim 1 wherein the fibrous cathode is formed of LiNi_0.7Co_0.30₂ fibers.

7. The battery device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of anode particles comprise carbon nanoparticles.

8. The battery device of claim 1 wherein the electrolytic polymer comprises poly(phenylenediamine).

9. The battery device of claim 8 wherein the poly(phenylenediamine) is exposed to a liquid electrolyte solution after electrodeposition.

10. The battery device of claim 1 wherein the fibers forming the fibrous cathode are coated with about 5 nanometers to about 100 nanometers of electrolytic polymer.

11. A battery device comprising:

an anode current collector defining a first surface of the battery device;

a fibrous anode forming a structure defining a plurality of pores, a first portion of the fibrous anode being in contact with the anode current collector;

an electrolytic polymer electrodeposited on the fibrous anode to provide substantial uniform coverage of fibers forming the fibrous anode;

cathode particulates disposed within the plurality of pores and separated from the fibrous anode by the electrolytic polymer; and

a cathode current collector defining a second surface of the battery device.

12. The battery device of claim 11 wherein the fibrous anode is an electrospun mesh of fibers.

13. The battery device of claim 12 wherein the fibers have a thickness between about 50 nanometers and 1,000 nanometers.

14. The battery device of claim 11 wherein the fibrous anode exhibits substantial fiber to fiber contact to provide an electrically unified mesh.

15. The battery device of claim 11 wherein the battery is a lithium based battery device.

16. The battery device of claim 11 wherein the fibrous anode is formed of pyrolyzed electrospun carbon fibers.

17. The battery device of claim 11 wherein the cathode particulates comprise ceramic nanoparticles.

18. The battery device of claim 11 wherein the cathode particulates comprise ceramic particulates formed within the plurality of pores through sol-gel techniques.

19. The battery device of claim 11 wherein the electrolytic polymer comprises poly(phenylenediamine).

20. The battery device of claim 19 wherein the poly(phenylenediamine) is exposed to a liquid electrolyte solution after electrodeposition.

21. The battery device of claim 11 wherein the fibers forming the fibrous anode are coated with about 5 nanometers to about 100 nanometers of electrolytic polymer.

22. A method of forming a battery structure, the method comprising:

applying an adhesive to a first current collector;

electrospinning fibers onto the adhesive to form a mesh having fused fibers and a plurality of pores;

electrodepositing a polymer onto the mesh to provide a coating on the exterior surface of the fused fibers; and

infiltrating electrode particulates into the plurality of pores, the coating on the exterior surface of the fused fibers preventing direct contact between the electrode particulates and the fused fibers.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein a second current collector is attached to an opposing side of the battery structure from the first current collector.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein electrospinning fibers comprises electrospinning carbon fibers followed by pyrolyzing the carbon fibers to form the mesh having fused fibers and a plurality of pores.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein rigid supports are positioned above and below the carbon fibers during pyrolyzation.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein pyrolyzation occurs at a temperature between about 500°

C. and 2500°

C.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising electrodepositing the polymer from a solution with a monomer concentration ranging between about 0.1 mM and about 1.0 M.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising applying a pulsed voltage across the mesh to electrodeposit the polymer.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein electrospinning fibers comprises electrospinning precursors for ceramic fibers followed by pyrolyzing the precursor fibers to yield ceramic fibers forming the mesh.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising wherein pyrolyzing the ceramic fibers at a temperature of between about 500°

C. and 2500°

C.

31. The method of claim 22 wherein infiltrating electrode particulates into the plurality of pores comprises applying a solution including the electrode particulates to the mesh.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the electrode particulates comprise nano-sized particles of electrode material.

33. The method of claim 22 wherein infiltrating electrode particulates into the plurality of pores comprises applying a solution including constituents to form the electrode particulates to the mesh and reacting the solution to form the electrode particulates within the plurality of pores.

34. The method of claim 23 further comprising immersing the battery structure into a liquid electrolyte solution.