US 11,637,291 B2 · Lithium-protecting polymer layer for an anode-less lithium metal secondary battery and manufacturing method

Abstract

Provided is a lithium secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte or separator-electrolyte assembly disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the anode comprises: (a) An anode current collector, initially having no lithium or lithium alloy as an anode active material when the battery is made and prior to a charge or discharge operation; and (b) a thin layer of a high-elasticity polymer in ionic contact with the electrolyte and having a recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 700%, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10−8 S/cm, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 100 μm. Preferably, the high-elasticity polymer contains a cross-linked network of polymer chains having an ether linkage, nitrile-derived linkage, benzo peroxide-derived linkage, ethylene oxide linkage, propylene oxide linkage, vinyl alcohol linkage, cyano-resin linkage, triacrylate monomer-derived linkage, tetraacrylate monomer-derived linkage, or a combination thereof in the cross-linked network of polymer chains.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A lithium secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte or separator-electrolyte assembly disposed between said cathode and said anode, wherein said anode comprises:

a. An anode current collector, initially having no lithium or lithium alloy as an anode active material supported by said anode current collector when the battery is made and prior to a charge or discharge operation;
and
b. a thin layer of a high-elasticity polymer in ionic contact with said electrolyte and having a recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 700%, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10−8 S/cm at room temperature, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 100 μm, wherein said high-elasticity polymer further comprises an ionic liquid solvent dispersed therein, wherein the ionic liquid solvent is selected from a room temperature ionic liquid having a cation selected from tetraalkylammonium, di-, tri-, or tetra-alkylimidazolium, alkylpyridinium, dialkyl-pyrrolidinium, dialkylpiperidinium, tetraalkylphosphonium, trialkylsulfonium, or a combination thereof.

A method of manufacturing a lithium battery, said method comprising:

(a) Providing a cathode active material layer and an optional cathode current collector to support said cathode active material layer;
(b) Providing an anode current collector, but no lithium metal or lithium alloy as an anode active material in an anode;
(c) Providing an electrolyte and an optional separator electrically separating the anode and the cathode;
and
(d) Providing an anode-protective layer of a high-elasticity polymer disposed between said anode current collector and said electrolyte or separator and dispersing an ionic liquid solvent in a network of chains of said high-elasticity polymer, wherein said high-elasticity polymer has a recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 700%, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10−8 S/cm at room temperature, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 100 μm, wherein said ionic liquid solvent is selected from a room temperature ionic liquid having a cation selected from tetraalkylammonium, di-, tri-, or tetra-alkylimidazolium, alkylpyridinium, dialkyl-pyrrolidinium, dialkylpiperidinium, tetraalkylphosphonium, trialkylsulfonium, or a combination thereof.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Lithium-protecting polymer layer for an anode-less lithium metal secondary battery and manufacturing method

Life of this patent

Lithium-protecting polymer layer for an anode-less lithium metal secondary battery and manufacturing method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22