Passivated silicon-carbon composite materials and related processes are disclosed that overcome the challenges for providing amorphous nano-sized silicon entrained within porous carbon. Compared to other, inferior materials and processes described in the prior art, the materials and processes disclosed herein find superior utility in various applications, including energy storage devices such as lithium ion batteries.

Provided are methods of preparing lithium batteries comprising a separator/electrode assembly having one or more current collector layers interposed between first and second electrode layers of the same polarity, wherein the first electrode layer is coated or laminated overlying a separator layer and the separator/electrode assembly is interleaved with an electrode comprising a current collector layer interposed between two electrode layers of opposite polarity to said first and second electrodes.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) forests are grown directly on a base material for an anode. The CNTs are filled with Li metal. The filling behavior of the CNTs with Li metal is governed by the density, height, and diameter of the CNTs in the forest. These parameters are controlled by modifying the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) recipe used to grow the CNT forest along with adjusting the catalyst stack design to tune the aspect ratio, density, and rigidity of the CNT forest.

A carbon matrix composite material, a preparation method therefor and a battery comprising the same. The carbon matrix composite material comprises micron-sized soft carbon, micron-sized hard carbon, a nano-active material, a first carbon coating layer and a second carbon coating layer, wherein the first carbon coating layer is coated on a surface of the nano-active material to form composite particles; the composite particles are dispersed on the surfaces of the soft carbon and the hard carbon, and in the second carbon coating layer; and the second carbon coating layer coats soft carbon, the hard carbon and the composite particles.

A battery electrode composition is provided comprising core-shell composites. Each of the composites may comprise a core and a multi-functional shell.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a lithium secondary battery having a high energy density. The method of manufacturing a lithium secondary battery having a positive electrode, a negative electrode not having a negative-electrode active material, and a separator includes a step of applying a gel electrolyte to one of the surfaces of the separator and a step of forming the negative electrode on the surface of the gel electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode is thinner than the gel electrolyte.

A method of coating a flexible substrate in a roll-to-roll deposition system is described. The method includes unwinding the flexible substrate from an unwinding roll, the flexible substrate having a first coating on a first main side thereof; measuring a lateral positioning of the first coating while guiding the flexible substrate to a coating drum; adjusting a lateral position of the flexible substrate on the coating drum depending on the measured lateral positioning of the first coating; and depositing a second coating on the flexible substrate, particularly on a second main side of the flexible substrate opposite the first main side. Further described is a vacuum deposition apparatus for conducting the methods described herein.

A battery electrode composition is provided that comprises a composite material comprising one or more nanocomposites. The nanocomposites may each comprise a planar substrate backbone having a curved geometrical structure, and an active material forming a continuous or substantially continuous film at least partially encasing the substrate backbone. To form an electrode from the electrode composition, a plurality of electrically-interconnected nanocomposites of this type may be aggregated into one or more three-dimensional agglomerations, such as substantially spherical or ellipsoidal granules.

Provided are methods of preparing a separator/anode assembly for use in an electric current producing cell, wherein the assembly comprises an anode current collector layer interposed between a first anode layer and a second anode layer and a porous separator layer on the side of the first anode layer opposite to the anode current collector layer, wherein the first anode layer is coated directly on the separator layer.

Provided are methods of preparing a separator/anode assembly for use in an electric current producing cell, wherein the assembly comprises an anode current collector layer interposed between a first anode layer and a second anode layer and a porous separator layer on the side of the first anode layer opposite to the anode current collector layer, wherein the first anode layer is coated directly on the separator layer.