A method for preparing an ultrathin Li complex includes the steps of preparing an organic transition layer on a substrate in advance, and contacting the substrate having transition layer with molten Li in argon atmosphere with H.sub.2O≤0.1 ppm and O.sub.2≤0.1 ppm. The molten Li spreads rapidly on the surface of the substrate to form a lithium thin layer. The ultrathin Li layer stores lithium on the current collector beforehand. It can be used as a safe lithium anode to inhibit dendrites.

A horizontal bead mill for dispersing secondary battery materials and a method for dispersing conductive materials using the horizontal bead mill for dispersing the secondary battery materials are provided. The horizontal bead mill includes a vessel including an inlet and an outlet configured to receive disperse media. The vessel is filled with beads. A rotor is rotated in the vessel to rotate the beads to disperse the disperse media. A driving unit rotates the rotor. An inner surface of a sidewall of the vessel is inclined at a predetermined angle for an axis of the rotor in a manner that an inner diameter of the vessel gradually decreases from an inlet side to an outlet side.

A cathode for a lithium-sulphur battery, said cathode comprising a particulate mixture deposited on a current collector, said particulate mixture comprising an admixture of (i) composite particles formed from a composite comprising electroactive sulphur material melt-bonded to electroconductive carbon material, and (ii) conductive carbon filler particles, wherein conductive carbon filler particles form 1 to 15 weight % of the total weight of the composite particles and conductive carbon filler particles.

A lithium coating method includes: coating an oxide layer having lithiophilic properties on a metal material by heating the metal material at a certain temperature; and coating a lithium layer on the oxide layer by bringing the metal material coated with the oxide layer into contact with molten lithium.

The present disclosure provides a lithium-rich electrode plate of a lithium-ion battery and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method of the lithium-rich electrode plate of the lithium-ion battery comprises steps of: (1) in a protective gas environment, melting a lithium ingot to obtain a melting lithium; (2) in a vacuum environment, heating and drying ceramic particles to obtain dried and anhydrous ceramic particles; (3) in a protective gas environment, adding the dried and anhydrous ceramic particles into the melting lithium, stirring to make them uniformly mixed to obtain a modified melting lithium; (4) in a protective gas environment, uniformly coating the modified melting lithium on a surface of an electrode plate to be lithium rich to form a lithium-rich layer, which is followed by cooling to room temperature to obtain a lithium-rich electrode plate of a lithium-ion battery. The lithium-rich electrode plate is prepared according to the preparation method.

Methods for fabricating triazene-based graphitic carbon nitride films are provided. A substrate can be coated with silk fibroin, submerged in the central zone of plasma, and provided with microwave power. The substrate can then be dried to give a triazene-based graphitic carbon nitride film. Methods of the subject invention can be easily scaled up to industrial levels and produce triazene-based graphitic carbon nitride films that show excellent electrical properties as anodes in lithium-ion batteries.

A specific cross-linker, an alkaline metal bis(styrenesulfonyl)imide monomer, is used in the synthesis of single ionic conductive copolymers that are non-fluorinated and non-PEO based. Such copolymers meet the security and costs requirements to be used as solid polymers electrolytes (SPE). They are promising alternatives to standard liquid electrolytes in alkaline metal-ion batteries because of their improved security and inflammability properties. The copolymers described are either polyvinylsulfonates or acrylate vinylsulfonate block-copolymers. Preferred acrylate monomers are methacrylates and preferred vinylsulfonates are styrene sulfonates. The copolymer is prepared by radical polymerization of the vinyl sulfonate and the cross-linker and optionally the acrylate, in particular radical photopolymerization using a functionalized bis(acyl)phosphane oxide (BAPO) as photoinitiator. Also described is the use of such copolymer as solid polymer electrolyte in a lithium ion battery.

A nanofiber based micro-structured material including metal fibers with metal oxide coatings and methods are shown. In one example, nanofiber based micro-structured material is used as an electrode in a battery, such as a lithium ion battery, where the nanofibers of micro-structured material form a nanofiber cloth with free-standing, core-shell structure.

Nanoporous carbon-based scaffolds or structures, and specifically carbon aerogels and their manufacture and use thereof. Embodiments include a sulfur-doped cathode material within a lithium-sulfur battery, where the cathode is collector-less and is formed of a binder-free, monolithic, polyimide-derived carbon aerogel. The carbon aerogel includes pores that surround elemental sulfur and accommodate expansion of the sulfur during conversion to lithium sulfide. The cathode and underlying carbon aerogel provide optimal properties for use within the lithium-sulfur battery.

Disclosed is the use of electric arc furnace flue dust and materials that are recovered from the flue dust of electric arc furnaces (EAF) used in the production of ferroalloys or steel from scrap metals, as electrode materials in electrochemical applications such as energy storage.