Representative embodiments provide a liquid or gel separator utilized to separate and space apart first and second conductors or electrodes of an energy storage device, such as a battery or a supercapacitor. A representative liquid or gel separator comprises a plurality of particles, typically having a size (in any dimension) between about 0.5 to about 50 microns; a first, ionic liquid electrolyte; and a polymer. In another representative embodiment, the plurality of particles comprise diatoms, diatomaceous frustules, and/or diatomaceous fragments or remains. Another representative embodiment further comprises a second electrolyte different from the first electrolyte; the plurality of particles are comprised of silicate glass; the first and second electrolytes comprise zinc tetrafluoroborate salt in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidalzolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid; and the polymer comprises polyvinyl alcohol (“PVA”) or polyvinylidene fluoride (“PVFD”). Additional components, such as additional electrolytes and solvents, may also be included.

Methods of making an anode for a lithium-based energy storage device such as a lithium-ion battery are disclosed. Methods may include providing a current collector. The current collector may include an electrically conductive layer and a surface layer overlaying over the electrically conductive layer. The surface layer may have an average thickness of at least 0.002 μm. The surface layer may include a metal chalcogenide including at least one of sulfur or selenium. Methods may include depositing a continuous porous lithium storage layer onto the surface layer by a PECVD process. The continuous porous lithium storage layer may have an average thickness in a range of 4 μm to 30 μm and comprises at least 85 atomic % amorphous silicon.

One aspect of the sheet-like air cell of the present invention includes a positive electrode having a catalyst layer, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte solution that are housed in a sheet-like outer case. The electrolyte solution is an aqueous solution that contains an electrolyte salt and has a pH of 3 or more and less than 12. The electrolyte solution contains a water-soluble high-boiling solvent with a boiling point of 150° C. or more in an amount of 3 to 30% by mass of the total solvent. Another aspect of the sheet-like air cell of the present invention includes a positive electrode having a catalyst layer, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte that are housed in a sheet-like outer case. The electrolyte is obtained by blending an electrolyte solution and a thickening agent. The electrolyte solution is an aqueous solution that contains an electrolyte salt and has a pH of 3 or more and less than 12.

The present invention provides a gel-like electrolyte having excellent electrolyte solution retention ability. The resin composition contains an electrolyte composition containing a solvent and an electrolyte and a vinylidene fluoride copolymer. The vinylidene fluoride copolymer is a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and a comonomer represented by Formula (1) below, wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom, R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, or an alkyl group having from 1 to 5 carbons, and R.sup.4 is a basic group that is capable of forming an intermolecular hydrogen bond. ##STR00001##

A gellable system is suitable for use in lithium-air batteries, organic supercapacitors or capacitor batteries. The organic supercapacitors or capacitor batteries comprise a gel electrolytes and/or a solid electrolytes, which are prepared from a gellable system comprising the following components: (a) lithium salts and (b) ether compounds; the gellable system for lithium-air batteries also comprises (c) electrolytes or their solvents used in lithium-air batteries; in the system, the mass fraction of the gellable polymers and/or the gellable prepolymers is less than or equal to 1 wt %; by adjusting the composition and type of each component in the system, the gel and/or solid electrolytes, having adjustable strength, formation time, transition temperature, and also reversibility, can be prepared; the preparation method has simple procedure, mild reaction conditions, short reaction period, high yield, low manufacture cost, which makes it easy to realize industrialized production.

A lithium-sulfur battery comprising a separator in which an adsorption layer including a radical compound having a nitroxyl radical site is formed, and in particular, to a lithium-sulfur battery suppressing elution of lithium polysulfide by using an adsorption layer including a radical compound having a nitroxyl radical site and optionally a conductive material on at least one surface of a separator. In the lithium-sulfur battery, elution and diffusion may be prevented by a radical compound having a nitroxyl radical site, a stable radical compound, adsorbing lithium polysulfide eluted from positive electrode, and in addition thereto, electrical conductivity is further provided to provide a reaction site of a positive electrode active material, and as a result, battery capacity and lifetime properties are enhanced.

A metal battery, such as a lithium battery, includes an anode, an anode current collector in electrical contact with the anode, a cathode, a cathode current collector in electrical contact with the cathode, a separator disposed between the anode and cathode, a liquid electrolyte, and an anode protection structure. The anode protection structure includes an anode protection layer disposed between the anode and the separator. The anode protection layer includes a matrix and domains within the matrix. One of the matrix and domains contains a first material and the other of the matrix and domains contains a second material. The first material is less permeable by the electrolyte than the second material.

The present disclosure relates to a polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a polymer membrane containing an ion conductor, and a plurality of composite fibers, wherein the composite fiber comprises a core portion continuously formed in the longitudinal direction of the composite fiber and a matrix portion surrounding the core portion, and the core portion contains an ion exchange functional group.

A polymer electrolyte membrane includes an ion-conducting polymeric electrolyte material and platelets, distributed through the polymeric electrolyte material. The platelets have an aspect ratio of length to thickness of at least 2:1. The platelets are aligned generally parallel to a length of the membrane. The platelets can be functionalized with free radical scavengers, or other moieties, to extend the lifetime of the membrane or of a membrane electrode assembly incorporating the membrane.

The present invention relates to a polymer electrolyte for a secondary battery and a lithium secondary battery including the same, and to a polymer electrolyte for a secondary battery, which includes unit A derived from a poly(ethylene oxide)-based polymer, and a lithium secondary battery including the same.