Bipolar articles and related methods

• US 7,763,382 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A123 Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A123 Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Fulop, Ric, Riley, Gilbert N. Jr., Viola, Michael S., Chiang, Yet Ming, Gozdz, Antoni S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): APICELLA, KARIE O
• Application Number:
  US10/628,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20050026037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 429/210, 429/212, 427/115
• US Class Current: 429/210
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/18 with bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/38 of elements or alloys
• 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 4/525 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: H01M 4/587 for inserting or intercalating light metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/64 Carriers or collectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/66 Selection of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/668 Composites of electroconductive material and synthetic resins
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/48 with bipolar electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53135 Storage cell or battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/532 Conductor

Abstract

The invention provides bipolar articles (e.g., batteries and capacitors) with new architectures and methods of making and using the same. Articles are provided with interpenetrating anode and cathode structures that allow for improved power density, and arbitrary form factors that allow for formation in substantially any desired shape. The articles are useful for embedding or integral formation in various electronic devices to provide more efficient use of space in the devices. The articles optionally include self-organizing bipolar structures.

Claims

1. A bipolar article, the article comprising:

(a) a housing comprising an inside surface;

wherein the inside surface has an arbitrary form factor which is not cylindrical or prismatic;

(b) a bipolar structure comprising a cathode current collector, an anode current collector, an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte in contact with and separating the anode and cathode;

wherein the anode and cathode are interpenetrating;

the cathode current collector is in electronic communication with the cathode; and

the anode current collector is in electronic communication with the anode;

wherein the bipolar structure as a whole has an arbitrary form that is not cylindrical or prismatic; and

at least one of the cathode, the anode, and their respective current collectors is conformal to the inside surface of the housing;

wherein the anode and cathode are self-assembling networks of particles disposed in the electrolyte; and

wherein the cathode current collector is attractive to the cathode network and repulsive to the anode network, and the anode current collector is attractive to the anode network and repulsive to the cathode network.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein one or both of the anode and cathode current collectors comprises a coating providing a repulsive force between the current collector and the opposite anode or cathode network.

3. The article of claim 2, wherein the coating includes one or more of a conductive oxide, polythiophene, polyaniline, poly(o-methoxyaniline) (POMA), poly(3-octylthiophene) (POTh), poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDT), poly(3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene)-polystyrene sulfonate (PEDT-PSS), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and derivatives thereof

4. A bipolar article having an arbitrary form factor, the article comprising:

(a) a bipolar structure having an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte in contact with and separating the anode and cathode;

(b) a cathode current collector that is in electronic communication with the cathode; and

(c) an anode current collector that is in electronic communication with the anode,

wherein the anode and cathode are self-assembling networks of particles disposed in the electrolyte, the cathode current collector is attractive to the cathode network and repulsive to the anode network, and the anode current collector is attractive to the anode network and repulsive to the cathode network, and

wherein the bipolar article as a whole has an overall form that is not cylindrical or prismatic, the form including a thickness that varies across the length or width of the article.

5. The article of claim 4, wherein one or both of the anode and cathode current collectors comprises a coating providing a repulsive force between the current collector and the opposite anode or cathode network.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the coating includes one or more of a conductive oxide, polythiophene, polyaniline, poly(o-methoxyaniline) (POMA), poly(3-octylthiophene)(POTh), poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDT), poly(3,4 ethylene dioxythiophene)-polystyrene sulfonate (PEDT-PSS), poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and derivatives thereof

7. A device comprising the bipolar article of claim 4.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the arbitrary form factor of the bipolar article is conformal with at least one surface of the device.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the device has a cavity, and wherein the arbitrary form factor of the bipolar article is space-filling within the cavity.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is a cellular telephone, laptop computer, personal digital assistant, or toy.

11. The article of claim 4, wherein the bipolar article is a battery.