Solid state catholytes and electrolytes for energy storage devices

• US 9,172,114 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2015
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantumscape Battery Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Quantumscape Corporation
• Inventors: Chao, Cheng Chieh, Chen, Zhebo, Holme, Tim, Mayer, Marie A., Riley, Gilbert N. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEST, ZACHARY P
• Application Number:
  US14/618,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20150171465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 259 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/00 Silicon; Compounds thereof C01B6/00, C01B21/00, C01B23/00 take precedence; persilicates C01B15/14; carbides C01B32/956
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2006/40 Electric properties
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3203 Lithium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/428 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/446 Sulfides, tellurides or selenides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/447 Phosphates or phosphites calcium phosphates C04B2235/3212, e.g. orthophosphate, hypophosphite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/547 based on sulfides or selenides or tellurides
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6261 Milling
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/6262 of calcined, sintered clinker or ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/62645 Thermal treatment of powders or mixtures thereof other than sintering
• 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 10/056 characterised by the materials used as electrolytes, e.g. mixed inorganic/organic electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0562 Solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/30 Batteries in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0068 inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0071 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0074 Ion conductive at high temperature
• 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 4/136 Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 : as layered products
• 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 4/582 : Halogenides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/5825 : Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/62 : Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for active masses, e.g. binders, fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/624 : Electric conductive fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/46 : Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes
• 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: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

The present invention provides an energy storage device comprising a cathode region or other element. The device has a major active region comprising a plurality of first active regions spatially disposed within the cathode region. The major active region expands or contracts from a first volume to a second volume during a period of a charge and discharge. The device has a catholyte material spatially confined within a spatial region of the cathode region and spatially disposed within spatial regions not occupied by the first active regions. The device has a protective material formed overlying exposed regions of the cathode material to substantially maintain the sulfur species within the catholyte material. Also included is a novel dopant configuration of the Li_aMP_bS_c (LMPS) [M=Si, Ge, and/or Sn] containing material.

Claims

1. An energy storage device comprising a cathode region, the cathode region comprising:

an active material region comprising an active material that expands or contracts from a first volume to a second volume during a period of charge and discharge;

a catholyte material spatially confined in spatial regions not occupied by the active material region, wherein the catholyte material comprises;

a lithium element from 30 to 50 atomic % of the catholyte material;

a silicon element from greater than 0 to 10 atomic % of the catholyte material;

a tin element from greater than 0 to 10 atomic % of the catholyte material;

a phosphorous element from 5 to 17 atomic % of the catholyte material;

a sulfur element from 35 to 60 atomic % of the catholyte material; and

an oxygen element from greater than 0 to 15 atomic % of the catholyte material,

wherein the atomic amounts of silicon and tin are equal, and

wherein the catholyte material is characterized by primary CuKα

XRD peaks at 2θ

=30°

±

1°

, 2θ

=33°

±

1°

, and 2θ

=43°

±

1°

.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the active material region is greater than about 50 percent by volume of the cathode region, and wherein the catholyte material is less than about 30 percent by volume of the cathode region.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the active material region is greater than about 45 percent by volume of the cathode region, and wherein the catholyte material is less than about 30 percent by volume of the cathode region.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a polymer material configured within a vicinity of the catholyte material.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the catholyte material comprises a plurality of particles.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the active material region comprises clusters having a median diameter ranging from about 2 μ

m to about 10 μ

m.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the catholyte material comprises a plurality of particles interconnected via a necking arrangement, and wherein the particle diameter to neck ratio dimension ranges from 1% to greater than 100% to form a polycrystalline structure having a porosity of less than 30% of a total volume of the cathode region.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the active material comprises iron and fluorine.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the active material is selected from NCA (nickel cobalt aluminum oxide), LMNO (lithium manganese nickel oxide), LCO (lithium cobalt oxide), nickel fluoride (NiF_x, wherein x is from 0 to 2.5), iron fluoride (FeF_z, wherein z is from 0 to 3), or copper fluoride (CuF_y, wherein y is from 0 to 2.5).

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the catholyte material is Li_aSiSnP_bS_cO_d, wherein 2≦

a≦

10, 0.5≦

b≦

2.5, 4≦

c≦

12, and 0≦

d≦

3.4.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the catholyte material is Li₁₀SiSnP₂S₄O_d.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the oxygen element has a ratio to the sulfur element of 1:

10 or less.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the active material region is greater than 50 percent by volume of the cathode region.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the catholyte material has a room temperature ionic conductivity ranging from 10⁻

5 to 5×

10<sup>−

2</sup> S/cm and an electrical conductivity less than 10<sup>−

5</sup> S/cm.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the room temperature ionic conductivity ranges from 10⁻

4 to 10<sup>−

2</sup> S/cm.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the catholyte material is characterized by:

a room temperature ionic conductivity ranging from 10<sup>−

5</sup> S/cm to 10<sup>−

2</sup> S/cm; and

an electrical conductivity less than 10<sup>−

5</sup> S/cm.

17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a protective material overlying exposed regions of the active material to substantially maintain the sulfur element within the catholyte material.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the catholyte material is doped with a dopant and characterized by XRD peaks including 18-21°

, 26-28°

, 28-31°

, 40-42°

, and 46-48°

.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the catholyte material is characterized by at least one ⁷Li NMR peak shift ranging from 0.5-1.5 ppm.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the catholyte material is characterized by at least one ³¹P NMR peak shifts ranging from 86-88 ppm, 92-94 ppm, 73-78 ppm, or 108-109.5 ppm.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the protective material overlying exposed regions of the active material is selected from the group consisting of AlF₃, LiF, LiAlF₄, LiPO₄, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, lithium titanate, lithium beta alumina, LiNbO₃, LiCoO₂, FeOF, and FeO_x.