Reticulated and controlled porosity battery structures

• US 8,148,009 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Chiang, Yet-Ming, Hellweg, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Maples, John S
• Application Number:
  US12/957,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20110070489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 429/209
• 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 2004/025 with shapes other than plane or cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/04 Processes of manufacture in general
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0402 Methods of deposition of the material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0404 by coating on electrode collectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0414 by screen printing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0416 involving impregnation with a solution, dispersion, paste or dry powder H01M4/0438 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0421 involving vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0423 Physical vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0426 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0428 Chemical vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0471 involving thermal treatment, e.g. firing, sintering, backing particulate active material, thermal decomposition, pyrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/0492 Chemical attack of the support material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/13 Electrodes for accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte, e.g. for lithium-accumulators; Processes of manufacture thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/139 Processes of manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The effective ionic conductivity in a composite structure is believed to decrease rapidly with volume fraction. A system, such as a bipolar device or energy storage device, has structures or components in which the diffusion length or path that electrodes or ions must traverse is minimized and the interfacial area exposed to the ions or electrons is maximized. In some embodiments, electrodes comprising a plurality of channels are provided, wherein the electrodes are constructed and arranged to allow diffusion of an ionic species from an electrolyte to a surface thereof. The device includes components that can be reticulated or has a reticulated interface so that an interface area can be increased. The increased interfacial perimeter increases the available sites for reaction of ionic species. The aspect ratio of the reticulated features can be varied. Such bipolar devices can be fabricated by a variety of methods or procedures.

Claims

1. An electrode comprising a plurality of channels extending substantially across the electrode, at least some of the plurality of channels having a substantially constant cross-sectional shape along essentially the entire length of the channel wherein the electrode is constructed and arranged to allow diffusion of an ionic species from an electrolyte to a surface of the electrode.

2. The electrode of claim 1, wherein an end of at least some of the channels is in ionic communication with the electrolyte.

3. The electrode of claim 1, wherein at least some of the channels are substantially parallel.

4. The electrode of claim 1, wherein at least some of the channels are disposed from each other at a distance that is less than a smallest dimension of the electrode.

5. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the pores have a circular cross-sectional shape.

6. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the pores have a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

7. The electrode of claim 1, wherein the pores have a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

8. A battery comprising an electrode in contact with an electrolyte, the electrode having a plurality of channels extending substantially across the electrode, at least some of the plurality of channels having a substantially constant cross-sectional shape along essentially the entire length of the channel, wherein the electrode is constructed and arranged to allow diffusion of an ionic species from the electrolyte to a surface of the electrode.

9. The battery of claim 8, wherein an end of at least some of the channels is in ionic communication with the electrolyte.

10. The battery of claim 8, wherein at least some of the channels are substantially parallel.

11. The battery of claim 8, wherein at least some of the channels are disposed from each other at a distance that is less than a smallest dimension of the electrode.

12. The battery of claim 8, wherein the electrolyte is solid.

13. The battery of claim 8, wherein the ionic species is Li⁺.

14. The battery of claim 8, wherein the channels have a circular cross-sectional shape.

15. The battery of claim 8, wherein the channels have a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

16. The battery of claim 8, wherein the channels have a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

17. A battery comprising at least one electrode in ionic communication with an electrolyte, wherein the electrode comprises a plurality of channels extending across the electrode, at least some of the plurality of channels having a substantially constant cross-sectional dimension along essentially the entire length of the channel.

18. The battery of claim 17, wherein the electrode is constructed and arranged to allow diffusion of an ionic species from an electrolyte to a surface of the electrode.

19. The battery of claim 18, wherein an end of at least some of the channels is in ionic communication with the electrolyte.

20. The battery of claim 18, wherein at least some of the channels are substantially parallel.

21. The battery of claim 18, wherein at least some of the channels are disposed from each other at a distance that is less than a smallest dimension of the electrode.

22. The battery of claim 18, wherein the electrolyte is solid.

23. The battery of claim 18, wherein the ionic species is Li⁺.

24. The battery of claim 17, wherein the channels have a circular cross-sectional shape.

25. The battery of claim 17, wherein the channels have a rectangular cross-sectional shape.

26. The battery of claim 17, wherein the channels have a polygonal cross-sectional shape.