Alkaline electrochemical cells are provided, wherein methods to decrease or eliminate shorting in batteries by preventing zinc oxide reaction precipitate from creating a conductive bridge between the two electrodes. The alkaline electrochemical cell comprising dissolved zinc oxide or zinc hydroxide in at least the electrolyte solution, and/or solid zinc oxide particles or zinc hydroxide in the anode, a silicon donor in the anode, and/or a bilayer separator optimally comprising a high-density layer and a low-density layer.

A method of making a free-standing nanoporous Zn is provided. The method includes compacting a predetermined amount of Zn compound precursor into a form of an anode; controlling a thickness of the Zn compound precursor to obtain desirable porosity; and reducing the Zn compound precursor in an electrochemical cell having an electrolyte at a predetermined volage against a reference electrode to obtain a nanoporous Zn anode. The nanoporous Zn includes continuous metal ligaments and pores each having a uniform width of around a few hundred nanometers. The nanoporous Zn may serve as an anode in a rechargeable Zn battery having the nanoporous Zn anode coupled to a conductive substrate, a physical block, an electrolyte, a reference electrode, and a cathode electrode, to deliver a high areal capacity and a long cycle life.

A battery comprises an anode, a cathode, and a polymer electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode. The polymer electrolyte can include an inert hydrophilic polymer matrix impregnated with an aqueous electrolyte. The hydrophilic polymer matrix can include a polar vinyl monomer, an initiator, and a cross-linker. A gassing inhibitor can be included in the polymer electrolyte to help avoid issues with overcharging of the electrodes.

Electrochemical cells and batteries that can operate with a single electrolyte solution, such as those comprising an anode, a cathode current collector, and a porous, non-conductive spacer between the cathode current collector and anode. Membraneless electrochemical cells and batteries are also disclosed. The electrochemical cells and batteries disclosed herein may be used, for example, to produce electricity or to generate hydrogen or both, and to deliver electricity or hydrogen or both to process applications.

Alkaline electrochemical cells are provided, wherein dissolved zinc oxide or zinc hydroxide is included at least in the free electrolyte solution, and/or solid zinc oxide or zinc hydroxide is included in the anode, so as to slow formation of a zinc oxide passivation layer on a zinc electrode. Methods for preparing such cells are also provided.

An alkaline electrochemical cell has a central cathode having a corresponding cathode current collector electrically connected with a positive terminal of the electrochemical cell. The cathode current collector has a tubular shape, such as a cylindrical shape or rectangular shape, extending parallel with the length of the central cathode. The cathode current collector is embedded within the central cathode, such as at a medial point of a radius of the central cathode, thereby minimizing the distance between the cathode current collector and any portion of the central cathode, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the cathode and facilitating charge transfer to the cathode current collector.

A battery includes an air cathode, an anode, an aqueous electrolyte, and a housing, wherein the housing includes one or more air access ports defining a total vent area; the battery exhibits a cell limiting current at 1.15V; a ratio of cell limiting current at 1.15 V to total vent area is greater than about 100 mA/mm.sup.2; and the aqueous electrolyte includes an amphoteric fluorosurfactant.

Nickelate cathode materials are provided, wherein said cathode material has an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern comprising a first peak from about 40.0-41.6 2Θ, and a second peak from about 62.6-63.0 2 Θ. Methods of preparing such cathode materials are also provided. Alkaline electrochemical cells comprising said cathode materials are also provided.

An objective is to provide a novel aqueous electrolytic solution constituting an aqueous power storage device that stably operates even at a high voltage.

An electrolytic solution for a power storage device contains water as a solvent and has a composition in which an amount of the solvent is not greater than 4 mol with respect to 1 mol of an alkali metal salt.

The present invention provides a sequential and efficient method of assembling a battery with a desired number of layers while reliably separating positive and negative electrode sides from each other with one or more separator structures. According to the invention, the method of assembling a battery includes stacking one or multiple combinations each comprising a frame and a positive electrode plate to be disposed in a region defined by the frame and one or multiple combinations each comprising a frame and a negative electrode plate to be disposed in a region defined by the frame, once or alternately, such that the positive and adjacent negative electrode plates are separated from each other by a separator structure and the periphery of the separator structure is held between the adjacent frames. The separator structure includes a separator exhibiting hydroxide ion conductivity and water impermeability.