LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES WITH NANOSTRUCTURED ELECTRODES

• US 20150357629A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Washington State University
• Original Assignee: Washington State University
• Inventors: MACKAY, David T., NORTON, M. Grant, MILLER, Sarah
• Granted Patent: US 10,193,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2004/027 Negative electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/045 Electrochemical coating; Electrochemical impregnation
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/134 Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/1395 of electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/366 as layered products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/38 of elements or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Several embodiments related to lithium-ion batteries having electrodes with nanostructures, compositions of such nanostructures, and associated methods of making such electrodes are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for producing an anode suitable for a lithium-ion battery comprising preparing a surface of a substrate material and forming a plurality of conductive nanostructures on the surface of the substrate material via electrodeposition without using a template. The substrate material is at least partially compliant.

Claims

1. A method for producing an anode suitable for a lithium-ion battery, the method comprising:

preparing a surface of a substrate, the substrate being at least partially compliant and having a compliance of about 3.0×

10<sup>−

7</sup> to 8×

10<sup>−

12</sup> 1/Pa;

forming a plurality of conductive nanostructures on the surface of the substrate via electro-deposition; and

controlling at least one operating condition of the electrodeposition based on a target profile for the plurality of conductive nanostructures formed on the surface of the substrate, the target profile including the conductive nanostructures forming a plurality freestanding structures.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of conductive nanostructures includes forming a plurality of conductive nanostructures on the surface of the substrate via electrodeposition without using a template at a temperature greater than about 40°

C.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of conductive nanostructures includes forming a plurality of conductive nanoneedles on the surface of the substrate via electrodeposition without using a template.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of conductive nanostructures includes forming a plurality of tin (Sn) nanoneedles on the surface of the substrate via electrodeposition without using a template.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein forming a plurality of conductive nanostructures includes forming a plurality of tin (Sn) nanoneedles on the surface of the substrate via electrodeposition without using a template, and wherein the substrate includes copper with surface copper oxide (Cu₂O), and has a thickness less than 0.07 mm.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a polymeric or fabric material including an electrical conductive material.

6. A lithium-ion battery, comprising:

a cathode;

an electrolyte in electrical communication with the cathode, the electrolyte containing lithium ions; and

an anode spaced apart from the cathode and in electrical communication with the electrolyte, wherein the anode includes an at least partially compliant substrate and a material alloyable with lithium carried by the at least partially compliant substrate, the material alloyable with lithium forming a plurality of one dimensional or multi-dimensional nanostructures spaced apart from one another on at least a portion of a surface of the at least partially compliant substrate of the anode, the at least partially compliant substrate having a compliance of about 3.0×

10<sup>−

7</sup> to 8×

10<sup>−

12</sup> 1/Pa.

7. The lithium-ion battery of claim 6 wherein the nanostructures include at least one of generally pure tin (Sn), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), silver (Ag), or gold (Au).

8. The lithium-ion battery of claim 6 wherein the nanostructures include at least one of a binary mixture of Sn—

Zn, Sn—

Au, Sn—

Sb, Sn—

Pb, Zn—

Ag, Sb—

Ag, Au—

Sb, Sb—

Zn, Zn—

Bi, or Zn—

Au.

9. The lithium-ion battery of claim 6 wherein the nanostructures include at least one of a ternary mixture of Sn—

Zn—

Sb, Sn—

Zn—

Bi, Sn—

Zn—

Ag, Sn—

Sb—

Bi, Sb—

Zn—

Ag, Sb—

Zn—

Au, or Sb—

Sn—

Bi.

10. The lithium-ion battery of claim 6 wherein the nanostructures include a quaternary mixture of Sn—

Zn—

Sb—

Bi.

11. The lithium-ion battery of claim 6 wherein the nanostructures include intermetallic compounds of at least one of Sn—

Cu, Sn—

Co, Sn—

Fe, Sn—

Ni, Sn—

Mn, Sn-ln, Sb-ln, Sb—

Co, Sb—

Ni, Sb—

Cu, Zn—

Co, Zn—

Cu, or Zn—

Ni.

12. The lithium-ion battery of claim 6 wherein the nanostructures include at least one of Sn—

Zn—

Co, Sn—

Zn-ln, Sn—

Zn—

Cu, Sn—

Sb—

Co, or Sn—

Sb-ln.

21. The battery of claim 6, wherein the at least partially compliant substrate includes a polymeric or fabric material including an electrical conductive material.

23. The battery of claim 6, wherein the at least partially compliant substrate includes copper with surface copper oxide (Cu₂O), and the substrate has a thickness less than 0.07 mm.

13. A battery, comprising:

a first electrode;

an electrolyte in electrical communication with the first electrode, the electrolyte containing a plurality of metal ions; and

a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode and in electrical communication with the electrolyte, wherein the second electrode contains an at least partially compliant substrate and a material combinable with the metal ions on at least a portion of a surface of the second electrode, the material forming a plurality of freestanding nanostructures spaced apart from one another, wherein the substrate has a compliance of about 3.0×

10<sup>−

7</sup> to 8×

10<sup>−

12</sup> 1/Pa.

14. The battery of claim 13 wherein the plurality of freestanding nanostructures include a plurality of freestanding nanoneedles.

15. The battery of claim 13 wherein the plurality of freestanding nanostructures include a plurality of freestanding nanoneedles individually having a generally constant cross-sectional area.

16. The battery of claim 13 wherein the plurality of freestanding nanostructures include a plurality of freestanding nanoneedles extending along an axis, at least a portion of one of the freestanding nanoneedles being tapered along the axis.

17. The battery of claim 13 wherein the plurality of freestanding nanostructures include a plurality of freestanding nanoneedles extending along an axis, a first portion of one of the freestanding nanoneedles having a generally constant cross-sectional area, and a second portion of one of the freestanding nanoneedles having tapered along the axis.

18. The battery of claim 13 wherein the second electrode further includes a substrate on at least a portion of the surface of the second electrode, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of freestanding nanostructures extends away from the substrate.

19. The battery of claim 13 wherein the second electrode further includes a substrate on at least a portion of the surface of the second electrode, a first one of the freestanding nanostructures extending away from the substrate and a second one of the freestanding nanostructure extending away from the first one of the freestanding nanostructures.

22. The battery of claim 13, wherein the at least partially compliant substrate includes a polymeric or fabric material including an electrical conductive material to be at least partially conductive.

24. The battery of claim 13, wherein the at least partially compliant substrate includes copper, and the substrate has a thickness less than 0.07 mm.

25. A method for producing an anode suitable for a lithium-ion battery, the method comprising:

preparing a surface of a substrate, the substrate being at least partially compliant, the substrate including a polymeric or fabric material including an electrical conductive material;

forming a plurality of conductive nanostructures on the surface of the at least partially compliant substrate via electro-deposition; and

controlling at least one operating condition of the electrodeposition based on a target profile for the plurality of conductive nanostructures formed on the surface of the substrate, the target profile including the conductive nanostructures forming a plurality freestanding structures.

26. A lithium-ion battery, comprising:

a cathode;

an electrolyte in electrical communication with the cathode, the electrolyte containing lithium ions; and

an anode spaced apart from the cathode and in electrical communication with the electrolyte, wherein the anode includes an at least partially compliant substrate and a material alloyable with lithium carried by the substrate, the material alloyable with lithium forming a plurality of nanostructures spaced apart from one another on at least a portion of a surface of the at least partially compliant substrate of the anode, the at least partially compliant substrate including a polymeric or fabric material including an electrical conductive material.

27. The lithium-ion battery of claim 26, wherein the at least partially compliant substrate includes a metalized polymer.