# US 12,224,431 B2 · Coating of electrode materials for energy storage devices

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- Number: US 12,224,431 B2
- Document ID: US12224431B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/751,100
- Filed: 2022-05-23
- Published: 2022-09-15
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-17
- Assignees: Hunt Energy Enterprises, L.L.C.
- Applicants: Hunt Energy Enterprises, L.L.C.
- Inventors: Jin-Myoung Lim; Fantai Kong; Mark Griffin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224431B2

## CPC

- H01M 4/366: {as layered products}
- H01M 4/0428: {Chemical vapour deposition}
- H01M 4/505: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing manganese for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiMn2O4 or LiMn2OxFy
- H01M 4/525: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
- H01M 4/5825: {Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines}
- H01M 4/624: {Electric conductive fillers}
- H01M 4/625: {Carbon or graphite}
- H01M 2004/021: {Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area}
- H01M 2004/028: {Positive electrodes}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Cathode materials, batteries, and methods of forming one or more electrodes for batteries are disclosed. A coated cathode material includes a lithium battery cathode material, a first sub-nanoscale lithium metal oxide coating on the lithium transition metal oxide and a sub-nanoscale metal oxide coating on top of the first sub-nanoscale lithium metal oxide coating. The first sub-nanoscale lithium metal oxide and the sub-nanoscale metal oxide coating are each less than 1 nm thick.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A coated cathode material comprising:
a lithium battery cathode material comprising a lithium transition metal oxide;
a first sub-nanoscale lithium metal oxide coating on the lithium battery cathode material; and
a second sub-nanoscale metal oxide coating disposed on the first sub-nanoscale lithium metal oxide coating; wherein the first sub-nanoscale lithium metal oxide and the second sub-nanoscale metal oxide coating are each less than 1 nm thick.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The coated cathode material of claim 1, wherein the lithium battery cathode material comprises:
Li1+aNixCoyMnzAl1-x-y-zO2, wherein 0.0<=a<=1.0, 0.5<=x<=1.0, 0.0<=y<=0.1, 0.0<=z<=0.1, and further wherein the lithium transition metal oxide material has less than 0.05 mol of impurities and other elements and less than 5 percent by weight of residual lithium compounds on the surface; and
one or more of single crystalline primary particles and-secondary particles.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The coated cathode material of claim 1,
wherein the lithium battery cathode material comprises:
LiFexMn1-xPO4, wherein 0.0<=x<=1.0, and further wherein the lithium transition metal oxide material has less than 0.05 mol of impurities and other elements;
and one or more of a single crystalline primary particles and secondary particles.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The coated cathode material of claim 1, wherein:
the lithium battery cathode material further comprises a carbon coating by one or more carbonaceous materials, and wherein the carbonaceous materials include one or more of amorphous carbon, conductive carbon, conductive graphite, hard carbon, soft carbon, carbon nanotubes, and graphene.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The coated cathode material of claim 1, wherein:
the lithium battery cathode material further comprises a conductive polymer coating.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The coated cathode material of claim 5, wherein the conductive polymer coating is disposed on the battery cathode material by one or more of solution mixing, vacuum filtration, cross-linking, and vacuum drying.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The coated cathode material of claim 5, wherein the conductive polymer and additive comprises:
one or more of polypyrrole, polyaniline, and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polymer, carbon nanotubes, graphene, conductive carbon, Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, and Os.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The coated cathode material of claim 5, wherein the conductive polymer coating is applied, at least in part, by:
dissolving a surfactant into a solvent by stirring for 10 min to 1 hours, dependent on the solubility at a temperature between 10° C. and 50° C.;
mixing the conductive polymer and additive into a solution for 1 to 24 hours at a temperature between 50° C. and 120° C.;
drying in a vacuum at a temperature between 80° C. and 200° C. for 6 to 24 hours; and
collecting the coated powder by using filtration.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The coated cathode material of claim 8, wherein the surfactant comprises one or more of sodium dodecyl sulfonate, benalkonium chloride, cocamidopropyl betain, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyurethane, polystyrene, polyvinylidene fluoride, cetyl alcohol, polytetrafluoroethylene, ethyl cellulose, nitrocellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The coated cathode material of claim 8, wherein the solvent comprises one or more of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, and ethyl-methyl carbonate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The coated cathode material of claim 1, wherein the first sub-nanoscale metal oxide coating comprises one or more metals selected from the group consisting of: Al, Ti, Co, Ni, Cu, Si, Ge, Se, Zr, Nb, W, Sn, Ga, Li, Mg, Sr, Ba, Fe, Hf, Ru, Ta, V, and Y.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The coated cathode material of claim 1, wherein the first sub-nanoscale lithium metal oxide coating forms Li-metal-oxide coatings without adding additional Li source during the coating process and wherein the first sub-nanoscale lithium metal oxide coating comprises one or more metals selected from the group consisting of: Al, Ti, Co, Ni, Cu, Si, Ge, Se, Zr, Nb, W, Sn, Ga, Li, Mg, Sr, Ba, Fe, Hf, Ru, Ta, V, and Y.