Deuterated electrolyte solvents

• US 10,461,368 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Poirier, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Fraser, Stewart A
• Application Number:
  US15/870,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20190221888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• 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 10/0567 characterised by the additives
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0568 characterised by the solutes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0569 characterised by the solvents
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/004 Three solvents
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The disclosure generally relates to rechargeable batteries, for example, lithium-ion batteries including electrolytes with deuterated solvents. The use of deuterated solvents in the synthesis of lithium-ion electrolytes in rechargeable cells or batteries increases the chemical stability of the cell or batteries by reducing the rate of hydrogen related reactions during decomposition or inhibiting some of these parasitic reactions.

Claims

1. An electrolyte for a lithium-ion cell comprising

a lithium salt;

a contaminant; and

an organic solvent isotopologue having deuterium substituted for hydrogen.

2. The electrolyte of claim 1, wherein the isotopologue is a carbonate-, ester-, ketone-, phosphine-, amine-based, or halogenated solvent.

3. The electrolyte of claim 1, wherein the isotopologue has deuterium substituted for at least 10 percent of hydrogen.

4. The electrolyte of claim 1, wherein the contaminant is a protic impurity.

5. The electrolyte of claim 4, wherein the protic impurity is water.

6. The electrolyte of claim 4, wherein the protic impurity is hydrofluoric acid.

7. The electrolyte of claim 1, wherein the isotopologue has an isotope other than deuterium substituted for a component other than hydrogen.

8. The electrolyte of claim 7, wherein the isotope other than deuterium is a carbon isotope substituted for a carbon, a nitrogen isotope substituted for a nitrogen, an oxygen isotope substituted for an oxygen, a sulfur isotope substituted for a sulfur, and a halogen isotope substituted for a halogen.

9. The electrolyte of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte has at most about 1M lithium salt.

10. A lithium-ion cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an electrolyte with an organic solvent isotopologue and a contaminant;

wherein the electrolyte contacts the anode and cathode and the isotopologue has deuterium substituted for hydrogen.

11. The lithium-ion cell of claim 10, wherein the isotopologue has an isotope other than deuterium for a component other than hydrogen.

12. The lithium-ion cell of claim 10, wherein the electrolyte has a decomposition rate that is less than a decomposition rate of the electrolyte devoid of the isotopologue.

13. The lithium-ion cell of claim 10, wherein the electrolyte has a voltage window that is greater than a voltage window of the electrolyte devoid of the isotopologue.

14. The lithium-ion cell of claim 10, wherein the electrolyte has a temperature operation window that is greater than a temperature operation window of the electrolyte devoid of the isotopologue.

15. The lithium-ion cell of claim 10, wherein a volume of the electrolyte is less than 3.1 times a total pore volume of the anode or cathode.

16. The lithium-ion cell of claim 10, wherein the lithium-ion cell generates less of a solid electrolyte interface or film buildup on the anode or cathode than an otherwise identical lithium-ion cell devoid of the isotopologue during a charging or discharging state.

17. The lithium-ion cell of claim 10, wherein the lithium-ion cell loses less capacity per charging/discharging cycle than an otherwise identical lithium-ion cell devoid of the isotopologue.

18. A lithium-ion battery comprising a plurality of lithium-ion cells of claim 10.

19. A method of manufacturing a lithium-ion cell comprising:

providing an anode and cathode; and

disposing an electrolyte with an organic solvent isotopologue and contaminant between the anode and cathode;

wherein the electrolyte contacts the anode and cathode and the isotopologue has deuterium substituted for hydrogen.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the isotopologue has an isotope other than deuterium for a component other than hydrogen.