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US 8,284,539 B2Granted
High performance ultracapacitors with carbon nanomaterials and ionic liquids
AssigneeADA Technologies, Inc.
InventorsWen Lu, Kent Douglas Henry
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to the use of carbon nanotubes and/or electrolyte structures in various electrochemical devices, such as ultracapacitors having an ionic liquid electrolyte. The carbon nanotubes are preferably aligned carbon nanotubes. Compared to randomly entangled carbon nanotubes, aligned carbon nanotubes can have better defined pore structures and higher specific surface areas.
Claims21
An electrochemical energy storage device, comprising:
- (a) first and second electrodes, the first and second electrodes being oppositely charged and primarily comprising substantially aligned carbon nanotubes, the aligned carbon nanotubes having opposing first and second ends;
- and
- (b) an electrolyte material, comprising oppositely charged ions, in contact with at least most of the first ends of the aligned carbon nanotubes of the first and second electrodes, wherein at least one of the first ends in contact with the electrolyte material is open to permit the charged ions to access an interior surface of the corresponding carbon nanotube, wherein the charged ions have a size less than the corresponding carbon nanotube interior diameter, and wherein the carbon nanotubes have been etched and amorphous carbon covering the carbon nanotube surface has been removed.
An electrochemical energy storage device, comprising:
- (a) first and second electrodes comprising etched carbon nanotubes having amorphous carbon covering the carbon nanotube surface removed, opposing first and second ends, and an interior surface;
- (b) an electrolyte material comprising an ionic liquid, and
- (c) a solid-phase electrolyte material comprising a polymer host and the ionic liquid, wherein at least most of the first ends of one or both of the first and second electrodes are open to permit the electrolyte material to access the interior surfaces of the etched carbon nanotubes and in contact with the electrolyte material.
An electrochemical energy storage device, comprising:
- (a) first and second electrodes, the first and second electrodes being oppositely charged electrodes and having primarily comprising substantially aligned carbon nanotubes, wherein the aligned carbon nanotubes have opposing first and second ends;
- and
- (b) an electrolyte material, comprising oppositely charged ions, in contact with at least most of the first ends of the carbon nanotubes of the first and second electrodes, wherein at least one of the first ends are open to permit the charged ions to access an interior surface of the corresponding nanotube, wherein the charged ions have a size less than interior diameters of the corresponding carbon nanotube, wherein the electrolyte material comprises an ionic liquid having a melting point of no more than about 100 degrees Celsius, a decomposition temperature of at least about 200 degrees Celsius, a viscosity of no more than about 200 Cp, an ionic conductivity of at least about 0.1 mS/cm, and an electrochemical window of at least about 2 Volts and wherein the electrolyte material further comprises an inorganic filler, wherein inorganic filler comprises particles having a surface area of at least about 10 m2/g, a maximum dimension of about 50 micrometers, and an average pore size of less than about 10 micrometers.
An electrochemical energy storage device, comprising:
- (a) first and second electrodes comprising etched carbon nanotubes having amorphous carbon layer covering the carbon nanotube surface removed;
- (b) a solid-phase electrolyte material comprising an ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid has a melting point of no more than about 100 degrees Celsius, a decomposition temperature of at least about 200 degrees Celsius, a viscosity of no more than about 200 Cp, an ionic conductivity of at least about 0.1 mS/cm, and an electrochemical window of at least about 2 Volts;
- and
- a polymer host selected from the group of polymers consisting of homopolymers and copolymers of polyolefins, polystyrenes, polyvinyls, polyacrylics, polyhalo-olefins, polydienes, polyoxides/esthers/acetals, polysulfides, polyesters/thioesters, polyamides/thioamides, polyurethanes/thiourethanes, polyureas/thioureas, polyimides/thioimides, polyanhydrides/thianhydrides, polycarbonates/thiocarbonates, polyimines, polysiloxanes/silanes, polyphosphazenes, polyketones/thioketones, polysulfones/sulfoxides/sulfonates/sulfoamides, polyphylenes, and mixtures thereof, wherein the ionic liquid and polymer host forms a self-supporting film.
1 more element
An electrochemical energy storage device, comprising:
- (a) first and second electrodes comprising etched carbon nanotubes;
- (b) a solid-phase electrolyte material comprising an ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid has a melting point of no more than about 100 degrees Celsius, a decomposition temperature of at least about 200 degrees Celsius, a viscosity of no more than about 200 Cp, an ionic conductivity of at least about 0.1 mS/cm, and an electrochemical window of at least about 2 Volts;
- and
- a polymer host, wherein the solid-phase electrolyte material comprises a substantially nonconductive, inorganic filler, and wherein the ononconductive, inorganic filler comprises particles having a surface area of at least about 10 m2/g, a maximum dimension of about 50 micrometers, and an average pore size of less than about 10 micrometer.
1 more element
An electrochemical energy storage device, comprising:
- (a) first and second electrodes, the first and second electrodes are oppositely charged and primarily comprise substantially aligned carbon nanotubes, the aligned carbon nanotubes have opposing first and second ends;
- and
- (b) an electrolyte material, comprising ions, in contact with at least most of the first ends of the aligned carbon nanotubes of the first and second electrodes, wherein at least one of the first ends in contact with the electrolyte material is open to permit the ions to access an interior surface of the corresponding nanotube, wherein the ions comprise anions and cations, wherein the cations comprise at least one of pyridinium, pyridazinium, pyrimidinium, pyrazinium, imidazolium, pyrazolium, thiazolium, oxazolium, triazolium, ammonium, pyrrolidinium, pyrrolinium, pyrrolium, and piperidinium.
An electrochemical energy storage device, comprising:
- (a) first and second electrodes comprising etched carbon nanotubes having opposing first and second ends and an interior diameter, wherein at least most of the first ends of one or both of the first and second electrodes are open;
- and
- (b) a solid-phase electrolyte material comprising a polymer host and an ionic liquid, wherein at least most of the open first ends are in contact with the electrolyte material, wherein the electrolyte material comprises anions and cations having has a size less than the interior diameter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.