Disclosed herein are electrodes for electrochemical devices and methods of making the electrodes. The electrodes include an electrode body comprising a plurality of channels wherein at least a portion of the channels extend from the first surface to the second surface of the electrode body. In the methods of making the electrodes, a combination of binder chemistry, solid loading, dispersant, types of carbon network, substrate surface modification, and drying temperature and time can be used to control the channel size and density.

An electrochemical device of the present invention includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive current collector containing aluminum, a positive electrode material layer containing a conductive polymer, and an aluminum oxide layer disposed on a surface of the positive current collector. The aluminum oxide layer contains fluorine.

An electrochemical device of the present invention includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive current collector containing aluminum, a positive electrode material layer containing a conductive polymer, and an aluminum oxide layer disposed on a surface of the positive current collector. The aluminum oxide layer contains fluorine.

Inorganic-based lithium mixed electrode materials have a low charge transfer rate and thus have poor fast charging or discharging characteristics. Positive electrode active materials include LCO (lithium cobalt oxide, LiCoO.sub.2), NCM (nickel cobalt manganese, Li(NiCoMn)O.sub.2), NCA(nickel cobalt aluminum, Li(NiCoAl)O.sub.2), LMO(lithium manganese oxide, LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4), LFP(Lithium iron phosphate, LiFePO.sub.4), etc. High nickel technology is attracting attention because if nickel is used a lot, the capacity of lithium ions can be increased. However, as the content of nickel increases, the reactivity increases, resulting in a risk of explosion of the battery and deterioration in cycle life characteristics. As the negative active material, carbon, transition metal oxide, nickel metal, silicon-nickel alloy, and the like may be used. As the carbon, natural graphite, artificial graphite, soft carbon, hard carbon, etc. can be used. As the transition metal oxide, C.sub.o3O.sub.4, CoO, FeO, NiO, and the like can be used.

The present invention adds a polymer additive containing free radicals in the molecular structure to the electrode to solve the problems of the existing secondary battery. The polymer additive contains free radicals and undergoes an oxidation-reduction reaction through ionic interactions. When this polymer additive is included in the electrode, the fast charging and fast discharging characteristics are improved, and the stability of the electrode is improved. When the stability of the electrode is improved, the cycle life characteristics of the electrode are improved. Because the polymer additive participates in the electrochemical reaction, it increases the practical capacity of nickel. When dissolved in a solvent, the polymer additive can increase the viscosity and act as a binder.

A negative electrode current collector for a lithium free battery includes a metal current collecting substrate, a conductive layer that is formed on at least one surface of the metal current collecting substrate and includes a conductive material, and a metal layer that is formed on the conductive layer and has a grain boundary. The metal layer includes a metal powder layer, a metal wire layer, or a mixed layer thereof.

A negative electrode current collector for a lithium free battery includes a metal current collecting substrate, a conductive layer that is formed on at least one surface of the metal current collecting substrate and includes a conductive material, and a metal layer that is formed on the conductive layer and has a grain boundary. The metal layer includes a metal powder layer, a metal wire layer, or a mixed layer thereof.

Described herein are improved composite anodes and lithium-ion batteries made therefrom. Further described are methods of making and using the improved anodes and batteries. In general, the anodes include a porous composite having a plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites. At least one of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites is formed from a dendritic particle, which is a three-dimensional, randomly-ordered assembly of nanoparticles of an electrically conducting material and a plurality of discrete non-porous nanoparticles of a non-carbon Group 4A element or mixture thereof disposed on a surface of the dendritic particle. At least one nanocomposite of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites has at least a portion of its dendritic particle in electrical communication with at least a portion of a dendritic particle of an adjacent nanocomposite in the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites.

Described herein are improved composite anodes and lithium-ion batteries made therefrom. Further described are methods of making and using the improved anodes and batteries. In general, the anodes include a porous composite having a plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites. At least one of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites is formed from a dendritic particle, which is a three-dimensional, randomly-ordered assembly of nanoparticles of an electrically conducting material and a plurality of discrete non-porous nanoparticles of a non-carbon Group 4A element or mixture thereof disposed on a surface of the dendritic particle. At least one nanocomposite of the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites has at least a portion of its dendritic particle in electrical communication with at least a portion of a dendritic particle of an adjacent nanocomposite in the plurality of agglomerated nanocomposites.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an anode of a lithium-ion battery capable of controlling an expansion directionality of an anode material whose volume expands by charging, and a lithium-ion battery including the anode manufactured by the method. More specifically, the present invention provides a method capable of improving the life of a lithium-ion battery by adjusting the tensile strength of a current collector and thus controlling the expansion directionality of an anode material, which expands during charging.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an anode of a lithium-ion battery capable of controlling an expansion directionality of an anode material whose volume expands by charging, and a lithium-ion battery including the anode manufactured by the method. More specifically, the present invention provides a method capable of improving the life of a lithium-ion battery by adjusting the tensile strength of a current collector and thus controlling the expansion directionality of an anode material, which expands during charging.