An electrochemical cell (such as a battery) that provides, inter alia, improved cycling efficiencies, by utilizing an electrolyte and a plurality of electrodes (including at least one metal electrode) where the electrolyte includes one or more solvents, one or more salts, and one or more additives, and at least one of the additives is a heterocyclic compound.

Hybrid electrodes for batteries are disclosed having a protective electrochemically active layer on a metal layer. Other hybrid electrodes include a silicon salt on a metal electrode. The protective layer can be formed directly from the reaction between the metal electrode and a metal salt in a pre-treatment solution and/or from a reaction of the metal salt added in an electrolyte so that the protective layer can be formed in situ during battery formation cycles.

Disclosed is an electrolyte for a secondary battery, and a secondary battery comprising the same, and in particular, to an electrolyte for a secondary battery including an electrolyte salt, an organic solvent and an additive, wherein the additive includes at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a compound having an N—Si-based bond and a compound having an O—Si-based bond.

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.

The present disclosure provides porous composites for manufacture of cathodes for secondary sulfur batteries and batteries containing such cathodes.

The present invention provides a nonaqueous electrolytic solution capable of improving electrochemical characteristics in the case of using an energy storage device at a high temperature and at a high voltage and further capable of inhibiting the gas generation while maintaining a capacity retention rate after storage at a high temperature and at a high voltage and also provides an energy storage device using the same. Disclosed is a nonaqueous electrolytic solution having an electrolyte salt dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent, the nonaqueous electrolytic solution containing a carboxylic acid ester compound represented by the following general formula (I). ##STR00001## In the formula, each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently represents a hydrogen atom, a —C(═O)—OR.sup.4 group, or the like, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be bonded to each other to form a ring structure. R.sup.3 represents a hydrogen atom or the like, and n represents an integer of 1 to 3. When n is 1, then L and R.sup.4 represent an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or the like; and when n is 2 or 3, then L represents an n-valent connecting group, X represents a —C(═O)— group, an —S(═O)— group, an —S(═O).sub.2— group, an —S(═O).sub.2—R.sup.5—S(═O).sub.2— group or a CR.sup.6R.sup.7 group, R.sup.5 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and each of R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

A task is to provide a non-aqueous electrolytic solution exhibiting excellent cycle capacity maintaining ratio and excellent low-temperature resistance characteristics and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the same. An object of the present invention is to provide a non-aqueous electrolytic solution which improves the cycle capacity maintaining ratio and low-temperature resistance characteristics, and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the non-aqueous electrolytic solution. The present invention is a non-aqueous electrolytic solution comprising an electrolyte and a non-aqueous solvent dissolving therein the electrolyte, wherein the non-aqueous electrolytic solution contains a compound represented by formula (1) (wherein X represents an organic group containing a heteroatom, Y represents a sulfur atom, a phosphorus atom, or a carbon atom, n represents an integer of 1 or 2, m represents an integer of 2 to 4, l represents an integer of 1 or 2, and Z represents an organic group having 4 to 12 carbon atoms and optionally having a heteroatom), and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising the non-aqueous electrolytic solution.

This application provides a lithium-ion battery and an apparatus. The lithium-ion battery includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator. A positive active material of the positive electrode plate includes Li.sub.x1Co.sub.y1M.sub.1-y1O.sub.2-z1Q.sub.z1, where 0.5≤x1≤1.2, 0.8≤y1≤1.0, 0≤z1≤0.1, M is selected from one or more of Al, Ti, Zr, Y, and Mg, and Q is selected from one or more of F, Cl, and S. The electrolyte contains an additive A that is a polynitrile six-membered nitrogen-heterocyclic compound with a relatively low oxidation potential. The lithium-ion battery has superb cycle performance and storage performance, especially under high-temperature and high-voltage conditions.

A system and method for optimizing electrochemical cells including electrodes employing coordination compounds by mediating water content within a desired water content profile that includes sufficient coordinated water and reduces non-coordinated water below a desired target and with electrochemical cells including a coordination compound electrochemically active in one or more electrodes, with an improvement in electrochemical cell manufacture that relaxes standards for water content of electrochemical cells having one or more electrodes including one or more such transition metal cyanide coordination compounds.

A system and method for optimizing electrochemical cells including electrodes employing coordination compounds by mediating water content within a desired water content profile that includes sufficient coordinated water and reduces non-coordinated water below a desired target and with electrochemical cells including a coordination compound electrochemically active in one or more electrodes, with an improvement in electrochemical cell manufacture that relaxes standards for water content of electrochemical cells having one or more electrodes including one or more such transition metal cyanide coordination compounds.