Ambient temperature superionic conducting salt including metal cation and borate anion or carborate anion and process for making ambient temperature superionic conducting salt

A battery comprising:

• an electrolyte composition comprising:
• a superionic conducting salt that comprises:
• a plurality of salt cations;
• a plurality of salt anions, the salt anions comprising:
• a closo-borate anion of formula BnH(n−z)Rz2−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 10;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-carborate anion of formula CBnH(n+1)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-dicarborate anion of formula C2BnH(n+3)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a carborate anion of formula CBnH(n+3)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a borate of formula B11H(14−z)Rz1−, wherein z is an integer from 0 to 11;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-ammonioborate anion of formula ((R′R″R′″)NBnZn−1)1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 10, N is bonded to B;
• and R′, R″, R′″, and Z independently comprise a hydrogen, a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing salt anions;
• and
• a superionic conductive phase that is present in a solid state at ambient temperature;
• and
• optionally, a binder in which the superionic conducting salt is disposed;
• a first electrode;
• and
• a second electrode separated from the first electrode by interposition of the electrolyte composition.

A process for making a superionic conducting salt, the process comprising:

• combining a primary salt and an impact member,
• the primary salt comprising an ordered phase and being an ionic conductor;
• impacting the primary salt with the impact member;
• and
• converting the primary salt to the superionic conducting salt in response to impacting the primary salt with the impact member at a conversion temperature to make the superionic conducting salt,
• the conversion temperature optionally being less than a thermally activated transition temperature that thermally converts the primary salt to the superionic conducting salt in an absence of the impacting the primary salt, and
• the superionic conducting salt comprising a superionic conductive phase in a solid state at less than the thermally activated transition temperature,
• wherein the superionic conducting salt comprises:
• a plurality of salt cations;
• a plurality of salt anions, the salt anions comprising:
• a closo-borate anion of formula BnH(n−z)Rz2−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 10;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-carborate anion of formula CBnH(n+1)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-dicarborate anion of formula C2BnH(n+3)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a carborate anion of formula CBnH(n+3)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a borate of the formula B11H(14−z)Rz1−, wherein z is an integer from 0 to 11;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-ammonioborate anion of formula ((R′R″R′″)NBNZn−1)1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 10, N is bonded to B;
• and R′, R″, R′″, and Z independently comprise a hydrogen, a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• or
• a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing salt anions;
• and
• the superionic conductive phase is present in a solid state at ambient temperature.

A process for making a superionic conducting salt, the process comprising:

• combining a primary salt and a secondary salt to form a drying composition that is a fluid and that comprises the primary salt and the secondary salt,
• the primary salt comprising an ordered phase and being an ionic conductor;
• drying the drying composition;
• and
• converting the primary salt to the superionic conducting salt in response to drying the drying composition at a conversion temperature to make the superionic conducting salt,
• the conversion temperature optionally being less than a thermally activated transition temperature that thermally converts the primary salt to the superionic conducting salt in an absence of the secondary salt, and
• the superionic conducting salt comprising a superionic conducting phase in a solid state at less than the thermally activated transition temperature,
• wherein the superionic conducting salt comprises:
• a plurality of salt cations;
• a plurality of salt anions, the salt anions comprising:
• a closo-borate anion of formula BnH(n−z)Rz2−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 10;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-carborate anion of formula CBnH(n+1)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-dicarborate anion of formula C2BnH(n+3)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a carborate anion of formula CBnH(n+3)−zRz1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 9;
• z is an integer from 0 to n;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a borate of the formula B11H(14−z)Rz1−, wherein z is an integer from 0 to 11;
• and each R independently comprises a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• a closo-ammonioborate anion of formula ((R′R″R′″)NBnZn−1)1−, wherein n is an integer greater than or equal to 10, N is bonded to B;
• and R′, R″, R′″, and Z independently comprise a hydrogen, a hydrocarbon substituent, a halogenated-hydrocarbon substituent, a halogen, an amine, a cyano, a hydroxyl, a thiol, a carbonyl, a carboxylate, a carboxylic acid, an epoxide, an ester, an amide, an ether, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing groups;
• or
• a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing salt anions;
• and
• the superionic conductive phase is present in a solid state at ambient temperature.