# US 7,745,052 B2 · Paste electrolyte and rechargeable lithium battery containing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,745,052 B2 - Document ID: US7745052B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/343,166 - Filed: 2006-01-30 - Published: 2006-08-31 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2005-01-28 - Assignees: LG Chem, Ltd. - Inventors: Jens M. Paulsen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745052B2 ## CPC - H01M 10/052: Li-accumulators - H01M 4/131: Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx - H01M 4/133: Electrodes based on carbonaceous material, e.g. graphite-intercalation compounds or CFx - H01M 10/056: characterised by the materials used as electrolytes, e.g. mixed inorganic/organic electrolytes - H01M 10/0567: characterised by the additives - H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries - H01M 2300/0025: Organic electrolyte - H01M 2300/0091: in the form of mixtures - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - 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 The present invention provides a paste electrolyte comprising an organic solvent of not high dielectric constant, soluble lithium salts, and clays, with the clays being swollen by the solvent, and rechargeable lithium batteries containing the paste electrolyte. The paste electrolyte according to the present invention can improve the electrochemical properties and cycling stability of rechargeable lithium batteries by limiting the anionic transport between anode and cathode without significantly decreasing the lithium transport rate, particularly during fast charge and discharge. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A rechargeable lithium battery comprising: an anode, the anode comprising an active anode material wherein the active anode material is a carbonaceous material; a cathode; and a paste electrolyte between the anode and cathode, wherein the paste electrolyte comprises: an organic solvent having a dielectric constant (∈) greater than 3 and less than 50; a soluble lithium salt; and a clay, wherein the clay is swollen and exfoliated by the solvent to form an exfoliated clay sheet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein said organic solvent contains more than 50% by volume of at least one linear carbonate and less than 50% by volume of a cyclic compound comprising at least one of a cyclic carbonate and a cyclic ester. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 2, wherein said organic solvent contains more than 60% by volume of at least one linear carbonate and less than 40% by volume of a cyclic compound comprising at least one of a cyclic carbonate and a cyclic ester. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein said soluble lithium salt is selected from the group consisting of LiPF6, LiBF4, Li-Beti, LiBOB, LiTFSI, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein said soluble lithium salt is contained in a concentration exceeding 0.5 mol/liter of the organic solvent. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein said clay is selected from the group consisting of hectorite, montmorillonite and alpha-zirconium phosphate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein said clay contains lithium or sodium. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 7, wherein said clay is a phyllosilicate containing sodium. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein the volume fraction of the liquid electrolyte (solvent+salt) in said paste electrolyte is more than 75% but less than 99%. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein the size of said exfoliated clay sheet does not exceed 2 micrometers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 10, wherein the size of said exfoliated clay sheet is less than 0.5 micrometers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein said paste electrolyte separates the anode and the cathode and wherein the paste electrolyte is disposed by a method selected from the group consisting of: (a) embedding the paste electrolyte in the pores of the cathode; (b) applying the paste electrolyte as a thin layer between the cathode and a separator, eventually penetrating the separator; (c) embedding the paste electrolyte in the pores of the separator; (d) applying the paste electrolyte as a thin layer between the anode and the separator, eventually penetrating the separator; and (e) embedding the paste electrolyte in the pores of the anode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 1, wherein a layer of said paste electrolyte is prepared by coating a layer of the clay swollen with a solvent onto an electrode surface or a separator surface, followed by drying, and a final swelling of the clay with an electrolyte is achieved after the assembly of a cell and injection of the electrolyte into the cell. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The rechargeable lithium battery according to claim 13, wherein said solvent is water, ethanol, NMP, or combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The rechargeable lithium battery according claim 13, wherein said clay is embedded into the pores of the anode or the cathode by adding the clay swollen by said solvent to an electrode slurry before coating. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The rechargeable lithium battery according claim 15, wherein said clay is swollen by NMP, and the swelling is supported by a method of mechanical activation, the method including ballmilling, beadmilling or kneading a mixture of the clay and NMP.