Carbonaceous active material and method of making same
First Claim
1. A method for producing a carbonaceous material which has a dopant element different from carbon, comprising:
- a. providing vinyl monomers having the general formula;
##STR3## where G represents a pendant group comprising at least one element which is different from carbon;
b. electro-polymerizing said vinyl monomers to form a polymer; and
c. heating said polymer to pyrolize the polymer thereby forming a carbonaceous material which includes said at least one element, with carbon constituting the largest portion by weight of said carbonaceous material and said at least one element constituting the second largest portion.
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Abstract
The present invention provides an electrochemical cell or battery which has a non-metallic negative electrode (anode). That is, no solid metal, free metal, active material is used in the cell. Rather than the conventional solid lithium metal anode, the active material of the new electrode comprises substituted carbon active material. The substituted carbon is carbonaceous material arranged in a disordered or ordered graphite structure, where atoms of carbon have been substituted in such structure by at least one other element. The invention also provides carbonaceous materials which are non-graphitic and considered amorphous, non-crystalline, highly disordered, which also have substituted therein elements other than carbon. The invention also provides a process for making such substituted carbons and for preparing an anode containing the substituted carbon.
65 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for producing a carbonaceous material which has a dopant element different from carbon, comprising:
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a. providing vinyl monomers having the general formula;
##STR3## where G represents a pendant group comprising at least one element which is different from carbon;b. electro-polymerizing said vinyl monomers to form a polymer; and c. heating said polymer to pyrolize the polymer thereby forming a carbonaceous material which includes said at least one element, with carbon constituting the largest portion by weight of said carbonaceous material and said at least one element constituting the second largest portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for increasing the lithium insertion capacity of a carbon active material selected from the group consisting of disordered carbon, carbon black, coke, and graphitized carbon, said method comprising substituting atoms of an element E for a minor portion of carbon atoms in said carbon active material, said portion being less than 50 percent of said carbon atoms;
- said element E being bonded to at least 1 carbon atom in said carbon active material and being selected from the group consisting of N, O, and elements adjacent to elements C, N, and O in Columns 13 through 16 of the Periodic Table, provided said element E is an electron donor;
said substituted carbon characterized by greater lithium insertion capacity as compared to unsubstituted carbon active material.
- said element E being bonded to at least 1 carbon atom in said carbon active material and being selected from the group consisting of N, O, and elements adjacent to elements C, N, and O in Columns 13 through 16 of the Periodic Table, provided said element E is an electron donor;
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16. A method for increasing the lithium insertion capacity of a carbon active material selected from the group consisting of disordered carbon, carbon black, coke, and graphitized-carbon, said method comprising:
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a. providing vinyl monomers having the general formula;
##STR4## where G represents a pendant group comprising at least one element which is different from carbon;b. electro-polymerizing said vinyl monomers to form a polymer; c. heating said polymer to pyrolize the polymer thereby forming a carbonaceous material which includes said at least one element, said element substituted for a minor portion of carbon atoms in said carbonaceous material, with carbon constituting the largest portion by weight of said carbonaceous material and said at least one element constituting the second largest portion; d. forming an anode electrode by mixing said substituted carbonaceous material with a binder and applying said mixture to a current collector; and e. assembling a battery comprising said anode electrode, a counter-electrode forming an electrochemical couple with said anode, and an electrolyte disposed between said anode and said counter-electrode.
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- 17. A lithium ion battery comprising a positive electrode, an electrolyte, and a negative electrode, said negative electrode comprising an electro-active graphite-structured material formed by carbon atoms wherein atoms of element E have been substituted for a minor portion of said carbon atoms of said graphite structure, said element E being selected from the group consisting of N, O, and elements adjacent to elements C, N, and O in Columns 13 through 16 of the Periodic Table, provided said element E is an electron donor.
Specification