# US 9,882,241 B2 · High capacity cathode

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,882,241 B2
- Document ID: US9882241B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/700,260
- Filed: 2015-04-30
- Published: 2015-09-17
- Granted: 2018-01-30
- Earliest claimed: 2008-08-01
- Assignees: Seeo, Inc.
- Applicants: Seeo, Inc.
- Inventors: Mohit Singh; Hany Basam Eitouni
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9882241B2

## CPC

- H01M 10/0565: Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
- H01M 4/131: Electrodes based on mixed oxides or hydroxides, or on mixtures of oxides or hydroxides, e.g. LiCoOx
- H01M 4/134: Electrodes based on metals, Si or alloys
- H01M 4/136: Electrodes based on inorganic compounds other than oxides or hydroxides, e.g. sulfides, selenides, tellurides, halogenides or LiCoFy
- H01M 4/364: {as mixtures}
- H01M 4/38: of elements or alloys
- H01M 4/485: of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy (H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence)
- H01M 4/525: of mixed oxides or hydroxides containing iron, cobalt or nickel for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiNiO2, LiCoO2 or LiCoOxFy
- H01M 4/5815: {Sulfides}
- H01M 4/5825: {Oxygenated metallic salts or polyanionic structures, e.g. borates, phosphates, silicates, olivines}
- H01M 4/623: {fluorinated polymers}
- H01M 10/0525: Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
- H01M 2004/021: {Physical characteristics, e.g. porosity, surface area}
- H01M 2004/028: {Positive electrodes}
- H01M 2300/0082: Organic polymers
- 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

A novel electrode for a battery is provided. The electrode may contain active material nanoparticles embedded in a solid polymer electrolyte. The electrolyte can also act as a binder for the nanoparticles. A plurality of voids is dispersed throughout the solid polymer electrolyte. The electrode may also contain electronically conductive carbon particles. Upon charging or discharging of the cell, the nanoparticles expand as they take up active material ions. The solid polymer electrolyte can deform reversibly in response to the expansion of the nanoparticles and transfer the volume expansion to the voids.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cathode for an electrochemical cell comprising:
a solid polymer electrolyte comprising a plurality of voids; and
nanoparticles comprising active material and distributed within and throughout the solid polymer electrolyte,
wherein the plurality of voids is compressible such that upon incorporation of the active material into the nanoparticles, the solid polymer electrolyte expands into the plurality of voids.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, further comprising a binder to bind the nanoparticles within the cathode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The cathode of claim 2, wherein the binder comprises polyvinylidene fluoride.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the cathode contains no additional electrolytes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the solid polymer electrolyte has a yield strain of 50%-500% and an elastic modulus of greater than 1×105 Pa.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of nanorods, nanowires, and nanotubes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles comprise FeS2, FeOF, FeF3, FeF2, MoO3, sulfur, lithium polysulfides, CuO, Cu2O, FeO, Fe2O3, V6O13, VO2, Li1+xV3O8 (0≦x≦3), AgxV2O5 (0<x≦2), CuxV4O11 (0<x≦3), VOPO4, LiCoO2, lithium iron phosphate (LFP), nickel-cobalt manganese (NCM), nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA), or mixtures thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles comprise V2O5.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles comprise sulfur.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles comprise lithium polysulfides.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles comprise a metal oxide.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles have no dimension larger than their critical fracture length.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles have no more than one dimension larger than their critical fracture length.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are approximately equiaxed and have a diameter between about 5 nm and 1 μm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are approximately equiaxed and have a diameter between about 5 nm and 500 nm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are approximately equiaxed and have a diameter between about 5 nm and 100 nm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are approximately equiaxed and have a diameter between about 5 nm and 50 nm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are linear and have a diameter between about 1 nm and 1 μm.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are linear and have a diameter between about 1 nm and 500 nm.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the nanoparticles are linear and have a diameter between about 1 nm and 100 nm.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of voids has a total volume no smaller than four times the total volume of the nanoparticles before lithiation.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of voids has a total volume no smaller than three times the total volume of the nanoparticles before lithiation.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of voids has a total volume no smaller than two and a half times the total volume of the nanoparticles before lithiation.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of voids has a total volume no smaller than twice the total volume of the nanoparticles before lithiation.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the voids have a volume that is between about 10% and 60% of the cathode.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, further comprising between about 0 and 10 weight percent conductive carbon particles.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the solid polymer electrolyte comprises one or more polymers selected from the group consisting of the following optionally cross-linked polymers: polyethylene oxide, polysulfone, polyacrylonitrile, siloxane, polyether, polyamine, linear copolymers containing ethers or amines, ethylene carbonate based polymers, Nafion, and polysiloxane grafted with small molecules or oligomers that include polyethers and/or alkylcarbonates.

### Claim 28 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the solid polymer electrolyte comprises a block copolymer.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The cathode of claim 28, wherein the solid polymer electrolyte further comprises at least one lithium salt.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The cathode of claim 28, wherein the block copolymer is a diblock copolymer or a triblock copolymer.

### Claim 31 (depends on 30)

The cathode of claim 30, wherein the block copolymer comprises at least a first block and a second block, wherein the first block is ionically conductive.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The cathode of claim 31, wherein the first block is selected from the group consisting of polyethers, polyamines, polyimides, polyamides, alkyl carbonate based polymers, polynitriles, polysiloxanes, polyphosphazines, polyolefins, polydienes, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The cathode of claim 31, wherein the second block is selected from the group consisting of polystyrene, polymethacrylate, poly(methyl methacrylate), polyvinylpyridine, polyvinylcyclohexane, polyimide, polyamide, polypropylene, polyolefins, poly(t-butyl vinyl ether), poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate), poly(cyclohexyl vinyl ether), poly(t-butyl vinyl ether), polyethylene, polyxylenylether, fluorocarbons, polyvinylidene fluoride, and copolymers that contain styrene, methacrylate, and/or vinylpyridine.

### Claim 34 (depends on 28)

The cathode of claim 28, wherein the block copolymer is nanostructured.

### Claim 35 (depends on 28)

The cathode of claim 28, wherein the block polymer comprises a plurality of blocks, and wherein the plurality of blocks is cross-linked.

### Claim 36 (depends on 31)

The cathode of claim 31, wherein the first block comprises an ionically-conductive comb polymer, which comb polymer comprises a backbone and a pendant group.

### Claim 37 (depends on 1)

A battery comprising:
a cathode according to claim 1; and
an anode spaced apart from the cathode.

### Claim 38 (depends on 1)

The cathode of claim 1, wherein the plurality of voids does not contain the nanoparticles.

### Claim 39 (depends on 36)

The cathode of claim 36, wherein the backbone comprises a polysiloxane, polyphosphazine, polyether, polydiene, polyolefin, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 40 (depends on 36)

The cathode of claim 36, wherein the pendant group comprises an oligoether, substituted oligoether, nitrile group, sulfone, thiol, polyether, polyamine, polyimide, polyamide, alkyl carbonate, polynitrile, other polar group, or combinations thereof.