Graphene Foam-Protected Niobium-Based Composite Metal Oxide Anode Active Materials for Lithium Batteries

Abstract

A lithium-ion battery anode layer, comprising an anode active material embedded in pores of a solid graphene foam composed of multiple pores and pore walls, wherein (a) the pore walls contain a pristine graphene or a non-pristine graphene material; (b) the anode active material contains particles of a niobium-containing composite metal oxide and is in an amount from 0.5% to 99% by weight based on the total weight of the graphene foam and the anode active material combined, and (c) the multiple pores are lodged with particles of the anode active material. Preferably, the solid graphene foam has a density from 0.01 to 1.7 g/cm3, a specific surface area from 50 to 2,000 m2/g, a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mK per unit of specific gravity, and/or an electrical conductivity no less than 1,000 S/cm per unit of specific gravity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.