Electrochemical cell having an electrode with a carbonate additive in the electrode active mixture

In combination with an implantable medical device requiring at least one current pulse for a medical device operating function, an electrochemical cell which is dischargeable to deliver the current pulse, the cell which comprises:

• a) a negative electrode;
• b) a positive electrode comprising a cathode active material contacted to a current collector, wherein the cathode active material is mixed with a carbonate additive prior to being contacted to the current collector, and wherein the carbonate additive is either linear or cyclic and includes covalent O—X and O—Y bonds on opposite sides of a carbonyl group and has the general structure of X—O—CO—O—Y, wherein at least one of the O—X and the O—Y bonds has a dissociation energy less than about 80 kcal/mole, and wherein X and Y are the same or different and X is selected from NR1R2 and CR3R4R5, and Y is selected from NR′1R′2 and CR′3R′4R′5, and wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R′1, R′2, R′3, R′4 and R′5 are the same or different, and at least R3 is an unsaturated substituent if X is CR3R4R5 and Y is CR′3R′4R′5;
• and
• c) a nonaqueous electrolyte activating the negative electrode and positive electrode, wherein the activated negative electrode and positive electrode provide the electrochemical cell dischargeable to deliver at least one current pulse for the medical device operating function, and wherein the current pulse is of an electrical current of a greater amplitude than that of a prepulse current immediately prior to the current pulse.

An electrochemical cell, which comprises:

• a) an anode comprising lithium;
• b) a cathode comprising silver vanadium oxide contacted to a current collector, wherein the silver vanadium oxide is mixed with a carbonate additive prior to being contacted to the current collector, and wherein the carbonate additive is either linear or cyclic and includes covalent O—X and O—Y bonds on opposite sides of a carbonyl group and has the general structure of X—O—CO—O—Y, wherein at least one of the O—X and the O—Y bonds has a dissociation energy less than about 80 kcal/mole, and wherein X and Y are the same or different and X is selected from NR1R2 and CR3R4R5, and Y is selected from NR′1R′2 and CR′3R′4R′5, and wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R′1, R′2, R′3, R′4 and R′5 are the same or different, and at least R3 is an unsaturated substituent if X is CR3R4R5 and Y is CR′3R′4R′5;
• and
• c) a liquid, nonaqueous electrolyte operatively associated with the anode and the cathode.

A method for providing an electrochemical cell, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a negative electrode of an anode material contacted to an anode current collector;
• b) providing a positive electrode comprising a cathode active material contacted to a cathode current collector, wherein at least one of the anode material and the cathode active material is mixed with a carbonate additive prior to being contacted to the respective anode current collector and cathode current collector, the carbonate additive being either linear or cyclic and including covalent O—X and O—Y bonds on opposite sides of a carbonyl group and having the general structure of X—O—CO—O—Y, wherein at least one of the O—X and the O—Y bonds has a dissociation energy less than about 80 kcal/mole, and wherein X and Y are the same or different and X is selected from NR1R2 and CR3R4R5, and Y is selected from NR′1R′2 and CR′3R′4R′5, and wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R′1, R′2, R′3, R′4 and R′5 are the same or different, and at least R3 is an unsaturated substituent if X is CR3R4R5 and Y is CR′3R′4R′5;
• and
• c) activating the electrochemical cell with an electrolyte operatively associated with the negative electrode and the positive electrode.

A method for providing an electrochemical cell, comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a negative electrode of lithium;
• b) mixing silver vanadium oxide with a carbonate additive to provide a positive electrode active mixture, the carbonate additive being either linear or cyclic and including covalent O—X and O—Y bonds on opposite sides of a carbonyl group and having the general structure of X—O—CO—O—Y, wherein at least one of the O—X and the O—Y bonds has a dissociation energy less than about 80 kcal/mole, and wherein X and Y are the same or different and X is selected from NR1R2 and CR3R4R5, and Y is selected from NR′1R′2 and CR′3R′4R′5, and wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R′1, R′2, R′3, R′4 and R′5 are the same or different, and at least R3 is an unsaturated substituent if X is CR3R4R5 and Y is CR′3R′4R′5;
• c) contacting the positive electrode active mixture to a current collector to provide a positive electrode;
• and
• d) activating the negative electrode and the positive electrode with a nonaqueous electrolyte.

A secondary electrochemical cell, which comprises:

• a) a casing;
• b) a negative electrode comprising an anode material capable of intercalating and de-intercalating an alkali metal and being contacted to an anode current collector;
• c) a positive electrode comprising a cathode active material capable of intercalating and de-intercalating the alkali metal and being contacted to a cathode current collector;
• d) a separator provided intermediate the negative electrode and the positive electrode electrically associated with each other in an electrode assembly;
• e) an electrolyte activating the electrode assembly housed inside the casing;
• and
• f) wherein the anode material is mixed with a carbonate additive prior to being contacted to the anode current collector and wherein the carbonate additive is present in the negative electrode upon the electrolyte being provided in the casing to activate the electrode assembly.