# US 2013/0157149 A1 · Rechargeable alkali metal-air battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0157149 A1 - Document ID: US20130157149A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/702,309 - Filed: 2011-05-31 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-06-08 - Assignees: Ramot at Tel-Aviv University Ltd. - Inventors: Emanuel Peled; Diana Golodnitsky; Hadar Mazor-Shafir; Meital Goor Dar; Shlomo Avshalomov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130157149A1 ## CPC - H01M 12/08: composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type - H01M 4/38: of elements or alloys - H01M 8/065: by dissolution of metals or alloys; by dehydriding metallic substances - H01M 12/06: with one metallic and one gaseous electrode - H01M 10/39: working at high temperature - H01M 10/3909: {Sodium-sulfur cells} - H01M 10/3918: {characterised by the electrolyte} - H01M 10/399: {Cells with molten salts} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - 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 An energy storage cell (20) including: an anode (40) formed of a molten alkali metal; an air cathode (60); and an electrolyte medium (50) located between the anode and cathode. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An energy storage cell, comprising: an anode comprising a molten alkali metal; an air cathode; and an electrolyte medium located between the anode and the cathode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1 wherein the molten alkali metal comprises a metal from the group of metals consisting of Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb) and Cesium (Cs). ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The energy storage cell according to claim 2 wherein the alkali metal is comprised in an alloy of the metal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The energy storage cell according to claim 3 wherein the alloy comprises at least two alkali metals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The energy storage cell according to claim 3 wherein the alloy comprises at least one metal from the group of metals consisting of: Gold (Au), Mercury (Hg), Indium (In), Lead (Pb), Antimony (Sb), Tin (Sn), Bismuth (Bi), and Tellurium (T1). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1 wherein the temperature of the molten alkali metal is less than about 50° C. above the melting point of the metal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The energy storage cell according to claim 6 wherein the temperature of the molten alkali metal is less than about 25° C. above the melting point of the metal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The energy storage cell according to claim 7 wherein the temperature of the molten alkali metal is less than about 10° C. above the melting point of the metal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1 wherein the molten alkali metal is supported by a porous substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The energy storage cell according to claim 9 wherein the porous substrate comprises at least one of: graphite, an intercalation compound of graphite, a high surface area carbon, carbon nanotubes, a sponge of aluminum, a sponge of titanium, and a sponge of an aluminum-titanium alloy. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The energy storage cell according to claim 10 wherein the porous substrate is formed from at least one of the sponge of aluminum, the sponge of titanium, and the sponge of aluminum-titanium alloy, and comprises a covering layer of at least one of carbon and graphite, wherein the covering layer has a thickness less than about 1 micron. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1 wherein the electrolyte medium is a non-aqueous medium. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The energy storage cell according to claim 12, wherein the non-aqueous medium comprises at least one of a solid and a liquid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The energy storage cell according to claim 13, wherein the solid comprises at least one of sodium beta alumina, lithium beta alumina, and sodium nitrite. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1 wherein the electrolyte medium comprises at least one of an ionic liquid and a polymer electrolyte. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The energy storage cell according to claim 15 wherein the electrolyte medium comprises the alkali metal. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1, and comprising a solid electrolyte interphase film covering the anode, wherein the solid electrolyte interphase film has an equivalent volume at least equal to the equivalent volume of the alkali metal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1 and comprising a gas delivery system that delivers at least one of air and oxygen to the air cathode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1 wherein the air cathode comprises an oxygen redox catalyst. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The energy storage cell according to claim 19 wherein the redox catalyst comprises at least one of MnO2, Ag, CO3O4, La2O3, LaNiO3, NiCo2O4 and LaMnO3. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The energy storage cell according to claim 19 wherein the air cathode is formed having a three phase structure in which the catalyst is located, and in which oxygen, material from the electrolyte medium, and the catalyst interact. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1, and comprising reduced oxygen species which are formed at the air cathode with alkali cations provided by the anode, on discharge of the cell. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The energy storage cell according to claim 1, wherein the cell is rechargeable. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A stack of energy storage cells according to claim 1 comprising an electrically conducting bipolar plate located between each pair of cells. ### Claim 25 A method for producing an energy storage cell comprising: forming an anode comprising a molten alkali metal; forming an air cathode; and locating an electrolyte medium between the anode and cathode. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25 wherein the molten alkali metal comprises a metal from the group of metals consisting of Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb) and Cesium (Cs). ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein the temperature of the molten alkali metal is less than about 50° C. above the melting point of the metal. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25 wherein the molten alkali is supported by a porous substrate. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25 wherein the electrolyte medium is a non-aqueous medium. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25 wherein the electrolyte medium comprises at least one of an ionic liquid and a polymer electrolyte. ### Claim 31 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25 and comprising covering the anode with a solid electrolyte interphase film, wherein the solid electrolyte interphase film has an equivalent volume at least equal to the equivalent volume of the alkali metal. ### Claim 32 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25 and comprising providing a gas delivery system that delivers at least one of air and oxygen to the air cathode. ### Claim 33 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25 wherein the air cathode comprises an oxygen redox catalyst. ### Claim 34 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, and comprising forming reduced oxygen species at the air cathode with alkali cations provided by the anode, on discharge of the cell. ### Claim 35 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein the cell is rechargeable. ### Claim 36 A method for generating energy, comprising: forming a cell having an anode comprising a molten alkali metal; forming an air cathode in the cell; locating an electrolyte medium between the anode and cathode; and discharging the cell.