Disclosed is a method for activating a surface of metals, such as self-passivated metals, and of metal-oxide dissolution, effected using a fluoroanion-containing composition. Also disclosed is an electrochemical cell utilizing an aluminum-containing anode material and a fluoroanion-containing electrolyte, characterized by high efficiency, low corrosion, and optionally mechanical or electrochemical rechargeability. Also disclosed is a process for fusing (welding, soldering etc.) a self-passivated metal at relatively low temperature and ambient atmosphere, and a method for electrodepositing a metal on a self-passivated metal using metal-oxide source.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an aluminum plate which is simple, is high in productiveness, allows the use of arbitrary aluminum materials, and can be suitably used for collectors having excellent adhesiveness to active material layers, a collector for a storage device, and a storage device. The method for manufacturing an aluminum plate of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an aluminum plate having an aluminum substrate having a plurality of through holes in a thickness direction, including an oxidized film-forming step of forming an oxidized film by carrying out an oxidized film-forming treatment on a surface of the aluminum substrate having a thickness in a range of 5 m to 1,000 m and a through hole-forming step of forming through holes by carrying out an electrochemical dissolution treatment after the oxidized film-forming step.

Methods of synthesizing few-layer two-dimensional (2D) Sb.sub.2S.sub.3 nanosheets using scalable chemical exfoliation are provided. The 2D Sb.sub.2S.sub.3 nanosheets can be developed as bi-functional anode materials in both lithium ion batteries and sodium ion batteries. The unique structural and functional features brought by 2D Sb.sub.2S.sub.3 nanosheets can offer short electron/ion diffusion paths and abundant active sites for surface redox reactions.

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming at least one trench in a non-porous silicon substrate, the at least one trench providing an energy storage device containment feature. The method also includes forming an electrical and ionic insulating layer disposed over a top surface of the non-porous silicon substrate. The method further includes forming, in at least a base of the at least one trench, a porous silicon layer of unitary construction with the non-porous silicon substrate. The porous silicon layer provides at least a portion of a first active electrode for an energy storage device disposed in the energy storage device containment feature.

The production of a porous copper-zinc structure includes providing copper ink, creating a 3D model of the porous copper-zinc structure, 3D printing the copper ink into a porous copper lattice structure using the 3D model, heat treatment of the porous copper lattice structure producing a heat treated porous copper lattice structure, surface modification of the heat treated porous copper lattice structure by nanowires growth on the heat treated porous copper lattice structure producing a heat treated porous copper lattice structure with nanowires, and electrodeposition of zinc onto the heat treated porous copper lattice structure with nanowires to produce the porous copper-zinc structure.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a pouch-shaped battery cell, the method including (a) forming an electrode assembly receiving portion in a laminate sheet to manufacture a preliminary battery case, (b) receiving an electrode assembly in the electrode assembly receiving portion and sealing other outer peripheries of the preliminary battery case excluding a first side outer periphery of the preliminary battery case, through which gas is discharged, (c) disposing a fixing jig at each of opposite end corner portions of a first side outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion, (d) performing an activation process and a degassing process, (e) resealing the first side outer periphery of the electrode assembly receiving portion, and removing an end of the preliminary battery case, wherein step (d) to step (f) are performed in the state in which the corner portion is in tight contact with the inner surface of the fixing jig, which is technology capable of preventing the preliminary battery case from being deformed by force continuously applied to the preliminary battery case in a process of manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery cell.

An anode in an electrochemical cell includes an anode active material comprising sodium and a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer disposed on the anode active material. The SEI layer includes reduction products of an electrolyte solvent and is free of degradation products derived from dissolved anions of an electrolyte salt. The electrolyte solvent and the electrolyte salt are present in an electrolyte of the electrochemical cell. The SEI layer does not include a fluorine content greater than 5 wt. %.

Described herein are carbon-silicon composite structures and methods of producing such structures. A carbon-silicon composite structure comprises one or more carbon-containing structures that have pores at least partially filled with silicon-containing structures. Specifically, the silicon-containing structures are attached to the pore walls while maintaining void spaces within these pores. These void spaces can accommodate silicon expansion during lithiation. Carbon-silicon composite structures can be produced by submerging carbon-containing structures into a precursor liquid solution (comprising a precursor) and driving this solution into the pores. The silicon-containing structures are then formed (from the precursor) within the pores either electrochemically (e.g., by applying a voltage to the solution and structures) or chemically (e.g., by introducing the structures into a reducing liquid solution). In some examples, these void spaces are sealed from the environment by additional structures, e.g., separate silicon-containing structures and/or carbon structures.

Provided are primary electrochemical cells having a stable operating voltage of 0.3 V to 2.0 V that include a Li anode coupled to a cathode that is formed of one or more Group 4A, 3A, or 5A elements provided alone or as an alloy with a second, third or other Group 4A, 3A, or 5A element or one or more transition metals. The cells further include a non-aqueous electrolyte optionally with low volatility such as having a vapor pressure of 5 mm Hg or lower at STP, and optionally a lithium-ion conductive and electrically insulating separator inserted between the anode and the cathode. The cells provide stable operating voltage that in some aspects can serve to power ultra-low power devices for 10 or more years without the need for expensive or inefficient circuitry to alter the cell voltage.

A manufacturing method of an aluminum battery includes: providing an aluminum electrode sheet having an oxide layer; soaking the aluminum electrode sheet in a first ionic liquid in a nitrogen atmosphere to remove the oxide layer, such that the aluminum electrode sheet has an exposed part of aluminum metal; removing the aluminum electrode sheet from the first ionic liquid and used as a negative electrode of the aluminum battery; and providing electrolyte. The exposed part of aluminum metal is in direct contact with the electrolyte.