A silicon-polymer composite anode having two or more different molecular weight (MW) versions of the same polymer, method of making the anode and electrochemical energy storage device containing the anode are disclosed.

The invention relates to a method for producing an electrochemical cell comprising at least one porous electrode (2′), the method comprising at least the following method steps: (a) providing an electrode composition in the form of a homogeneous mixture comprising (i) at least one particulate active material (3); (ii) at least one particulate binder (5); (iii) at least one particulate pore-forming agent (4); and (iv) optionally at least one conducting additive (6); (b) forming a mouldable mass from the electrode composition; (c) applying the electrode composition to at least one surface of a substrate (1) to obtain a compact electrode (2); (d) producing an electrochemical cell comprising at least one compact electrode (2) which comprises the electrode composition according to method step (a); and (e) heating the at least one compact electrode (2) to liquefy the at least one particulate pore-forming agent (4); and/or (f) bringing the compact electrode (2) into contact with at least one liquid electrolyte composition or at least one liquid constituent of an electrolyte composition for an electrochemical cell which is capable of at least partially dissolving the at least one particulate pore-forming agent (4) to obtain a porous electrode (2), wherein method steps (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) are carried out substantially without solvents.

Articles and methods including layers for protection of electrodes in electrochemical cells are provided. As described herein, a layer, such as a protective layer for an electrode, may comprise a plurality of particles (e.g., crystalline inorganic particles, amorphous inorganic particles). In some aspects, at least a portion of the plurality of particles (e.g., inorganic particles) are fused to one another. For instance, in some aspects, the layer may be formed by aerosol deposition or another suitable process that involves subjecting the particles to a relatively high velocity such that fusion of particles occurs during deposition. In some cases, the protective layer may be porous.

The present disclosure relates to a lithium-sulfur battery cathode. The lithium-sulfur battery cathode comprises a carbon nanotube sponge and a plurality of sulfur nanoparticles. Wherein the carbon nanotube sponge comprises a plurality of micropores. The plurality of sulfur nanoparticles are uniformly distributed in the plurality of micropores. The present disclosure also relates a method for making the lithium-sulfur battery cathode and a lithium-sulfur battery using the lithium-sulfur battery cathode.

A lithium secondary battery includes a cathode formed of a cathode active material including a lithium metal oxide particle having a concentration gradient, and a coating formed on the lithium metal oxide particle, the coating including aluminum, titanium and zirconium, an anode, and a separator interposed between the cathode and the anode. The cathode active material includes 2,000 ppm to 4,000 ppm of aluminum, 4,000 ppm to 9,000 ppm of titanium and 400 ppm to 700 ppm of zirconium, based on the total weight of the cathode active material. The performance of the secondary battery may be maintained under a high temperature condition.

Briefly, a sensor for a continuous biological monitor is provided for measuring the level of a target analyte for a patient. The sensor has a working wire and a reference wire, where the working wire has an analyte limiting layer that passes more than 1 in 1000 analyte molecules from the patient to the an enzyme layer. The enzyme layer has an enzyme entrapped in a polyurethane cross-linked with acrylic polyol. As free electrons are generated, a conductor transfers the electrons to the biological monitor. In some cases, the sensor may be constructed without the use of any expensive platinum.

A method of fabricating and using a zinc negative electrode and systems thereof are described. A zinc electroplated electrode including a layer of zinc metal bonded to a surface of an electrically conductive current collector is fabricated by an electroplating process using a zinc electroplating system. The zinc electroplating system includes: a zinc metal anode, a cathode including the current collector for plating zinc thereon, and an electrolyte bath comprising zinc ions. The electroplating process bonds the zinc metal to the surface of the current collector to create the electroplated zinc electrode. The electroplated zinc electrode is used as a negative electrode in a zinc metal cell. The zinc metal cell may be a primary cell or a secondary cell.

Provided is a post-treatment method of a lithium secondary battery including: an activation step of charging a heated lithium secondary battery to an activation voltage and maintaining the battery at the voltage, in a state in which the lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode including a nickel-rich (Ni-rich) lithium-transition metal composite oxide having a layered structure containing 0.8 moles or more of Ni based on a total of 1 mole of transition metals as a positive electrode active material; a negative electrode; a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an electrolyte solution, which are built in a battery case, is heated, the activation voltage being equal to or higher than a voltage generating phase transition of the lithium-transition metal composite oxide.

A miniature electrochemical cell having a volume of less than 0.5 cc is described. The cell has a casing of first and second ceramic substrates that are hermetically secured to each other to provide an internal space housing an electrode assembly. First and second conductive pathways extend through the ceramic substrates. The pathways have respective inner surfaces that are conductively connected to the respective anode and cathode current collectors and respective outer surfaces that provide for connection to a load. An electrolyte in the internal space of the housing activates the electrode assembly.

Disclosed is a method for improving the performance of a layered electrode material. An interlayer spacing of the layered electrode material is measured and donated as (b). A salt compound is selected and added into a solvent with a molecular diameter of (c) to prepare an electrolytic solution, where a diameter (a) of a cation in the salt compound is smaller than the interlayer spacing (b), and c>b−a. The electrolytic solution is used as the working electrolytic solution for the layered electrode material.