Lithium metal electrodes and batteries thereof
AssigneesMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, 24M Technologies, Inc.
InventorsYet-Ming Chiang, Venkatasubramanian Viswanathan, Linsen Li, Vikram Pande, Dilip Krishnamurthy, Zeeshan Ahmad, William Henry Woodford
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Abstract
The present disclosure is generally related to separators for use in lithium metal batteries, and associated systems and products. Certain embodiments are related to separators that form or are repaired when an electrode is held at a voltage. In some embodiments, an electrochemical cell may comprise an electrolyte that comprises a precursor for the separator.
Claims61
A method of forming a separator in a rechargeable electrochemical cell, comprising:
- holding a first electrode at a first voltage in a rechargeable electrochemical cell, wherein the rechargeable electrochemical cell comprises an electrolyte comprising a precursor for the separator in an amount of less than or equal to 1 mM and greater than or equal to 1 nM, and
- wherein the first voltage causes the precursor for the separator to react to form a separator positioned between the first electrode and a second electrode.
A method of healing a defect in a separator in a rechargeable electrochemical cell, comprising:
- holding a first electrode at a first voltage in a rechargeable electrochemical cell,
- wherein the rechargeable electrochemical cell comprises a separator,
- wherein the rechargeable electrochemical cell comprises an electrolyte comprising a precursor for the separator in an amount of less than or equal to 1 mM and greater than or equal to 1 nM, and
- wherein the first voltage causes the precursor for the separator to react to heal a defect in the separator.
A rechargeable electrochemical cell, comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode;
- a separator;
- and
- an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte comprises a salt with a concentration of greater than or equal to 0.01 M, the electrolyte having a portion of a precursor to form the separator, and wherein the portion of the precursor to form the separator has a solubility in the electrolyte of less than or equal to 1 mM and greater than or equal to 1 nM,
- wherein the precursor reacts to repair one or more defects in the separator when the first and the second electrodes reach a specific voltage between 0 V and 5 V.
A rechargeable electrochemical cell, comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode;
- and
- an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte comprises at least one of a first halide anion and a species that can react to form a first halide anion, and wherein the electrolyte comprises at least one of a second halide anion and a species that can react to form a second halide anion.
A rechargeable electrochemical cell, comprising:
- a first electrode;
- a second electrode;
- and
- a separator, wherein the separator comprises at least a first layer and a second layer, and wherein the second layer undergoes oxidation at a higher voltage than the first layer.
A rechargeable electrochemical cell as in any preceding claim, wherein the precursor for the separator comprises a polyhalide anion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.