Composites of porous nano-featured silicon materials and carbon materials
OwnerAaron M. Feaver, Leah A. Thompkins +9inventors
InventorsAaron M. Feaver, Leah A. Thompkins, Katharine Geramita, Benjamin E. Kron, Avery J. Sakshaug, Sarah Fredrick, Henry R. Costantino, Chad Goodwin, Christopher Timmons, Farshid Afkhami, Adam Strong
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Abstract
Composites of porous nano-featured silicon and various materials, such as carbon, are provided. The composites find utility in various applications, such as electrical energy storage electrodes and devices comprising the same.
Claims24
1-36. (canceled)
A composite material comprising carbon and nano-featured porous silicon, wherein the nano-featured porous silicon comprises a surface area of 30 to 120 m2/g and a pore volume of 0.08 to 0.3 cm3/g, wherein the pore volume comprises 5 to 40% micropores, 35-70% mesopores, and 30-60% macropores.
40-41. (canceled)
A composite material comprising porous nano-featured silicon and carbon, having a silicon content between 20% to 70% by weight, a specific surface area between 10 and 200 m2/g, a pore volume between 0.01 and 0.2 cm3/g, and a pore volume distribution comprising less than 30% micropores, less than 30% mesopores, and greater than 50% macropores.
(canceled)
56-57. (canceled)
A method for producing a composite a material comprising carbon and porous nano-featured and nano-sized silicon comprising the following steps:
- a) suspending particles of a silicon alloy in a liquid medium containing a dissolved acid;
- b) storing the suspended particles for a period of time at sufficient temperature to allow for erosion of metal cations from the silicon alloy in to the liquid medium to yield highly friable silicon material with nano-sized features;
- c) removing the liquid medium to yield dried highly friable silicon material with nano-sized features;
- d) particle size reduction of the friable silicon material with nano-sized features to yield nano-sized silicon particles with nano-sized features;
- e) blending a mixture of polymer precursors with the nano-sized silicon particles with nano-sized features;
- f) storing the mixture of polymer precursors and the nano-sized silicon particles with nano-sized features for a period of time at sufficient temperature to allow for impregnation and polymerization of the polymer precursors within the nano-sized silicon particles with nano-sized features to yield polymer-impregnated nano-sized silicon particles with nano-sized features;
- and
- g) carbonization of the polymer-impregnated silicon particles to yield a composite silicon-carbon material, wherein the silicon material is a nano-sized silicon material with nano-sized features.
59-73. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.