Disclosed herein are dendritically porous three-dimensional structures, including hierarchical dendritically porous three-dimensional structures. The structures include metal foams and graphite structures, and are useful in energy storage devices as well as chemical catalysis.

Disclosed herein are dendritically porous three-dimensional structures, including hierarchical dendritically porous three-dimensional structures. The structures include metal foams and graphite structures, and are useful in energy storage devices as well as chemical catalysis.

A process for producing a composite material comprising at least one particulate material and at least one polymeric binder, wherein the at least one particulate material and the at least one polymeric binder are mixed with one another and mechanically processed in the presence of at least one process auxiliary which reduces the mechanical and/or chemical interaction between the surfaces of the at least one particulate material and of the at least one polymeric binder, essentially dispensing with the use of solvents, characterized in that the weight ratio of process auxiliary to polymeric binder is within a range from 3:10 to 0.1:20.

A process for producing a composite material comprising at least one particulate material and at least one polymeric binder, wherein the at least one particulate material and the at least one polymeric binder are mixed with one another and mechanically processed in the presence of at least one process auxiliary which reduces the mechanical and/or chemical interaction between the surfaces of the at least one particulate material and of the at least one polymeric binder, essentially dispensing with the use of solvents, characterized in that the weight ratio of process auxiliary to polymeric binder is within a range from 3:10 to 0.1:20.

A lithium-ion battery may include a cathode, an anode, and a polymer electrolyte. The anode may include a current collector. The current collector may include a metal oxide layer provided in a first pattern overlaying a metal layer. The anode may also include a patterned lithium storage structure. The patterned lithium storage structure may include a continuous porous lithium storage layer overlaying at least a portion of the first pattern of metal oxide. These and other lithium-ion batteries are described.

The electrode structure for electronic devices according to the present invention comprises a powdered electrode material, and carbon nanotubes having a volume resistivity of not more than 2×10.sup.−2 Ω.Math.cm.

The electrode structure for electronic devices according to the present invention comprises a powdered electrode material, and carbon nanotubes having a volume resistivity of not more than 2×10.sup.−2 Ω.Math.cm.

A negative active material includes a carbon material. The carbon material satisfies the following relationship: 6<Gr/K<16, Gr is a graphitization degree of the carbon material, measured by X-ray diffraction; and K is a ratio Id/Ig of a peak intensity Id of the carbon material at a wavenumber of 1250 cm.sup.−1 to 1650 cm.sup.−1 to a peak intensity Ig of the carbon material at a wavenumber of 1500 cm.sup.−1 to 1650 cm.sup.−1, and is measured by using Raman spectroscopy, and K is 0.06 to 0.15.

An aspect of the present invention is a nonaqueous electrolyte energy storage device including: a negative electrode including a negative active material layer with a thickness expansion rate of 10% or more due to charge; and a separator, in which the absolute value (|dR/dP|) of an increase in resistance (dR) to a change in pressure (dP) in pressurization is 0.15 Ω.Math.cm.sup.2/MPa or less in the separator impregnated with a measurement electrolyte solution, the measurement electrolyte solution contains an ethylene carbonate and an ethyl methyl carbonate as a solvent, and a lithium hexafluorophosphate as an electrolyte salt, the volume ratio between the ethylene carbonate and the ethyl methyl carbonate is 30:70, and the concentration of the lithium hexafluorophosphate is 1.0 mol/L.

A nonaqueous electrolyte energy storage device according to one aspect of the present invention is a nonaqueous electrolyte energy storage device including: a negative electrode including a negative electrode material layer; and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing an unsaturated cyclic carbonate, in which the negative electrode material layer contains a solid graphite particle with an aspect ratio of 1 or more and 5 or less, and the amount of substance of the unsaturated cyclic carbonate with respect to a surface area of the negative active material layer is 0.03 mmol/m.sup.2 or more and 0.08 mmol/m.sup.2 or less.