Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a battery, including an anode; a cathode; and an electrolyte between the anode and the cathode, wherein the electrolyte comprises at least one polymer electrolyte that includes sulfur dioxide. In one aspect, a disclosed method includes a) assembling an anode for a battery cell; b) assembling a cathode for the battery cell; c) synthesizing an electrolyte that comprises at least one polymer electrolyte with sulfur dioxide and d) integrating the assembled anode, the assembled cathode, and synthesized electrolyte to create a battery.

A negative electrode for a lithium metal battery which includes: a current collector; a negative electrode active material layer formed on the surface of a current collector; a heat conductive layer formed on a surface of the negative electrode active material layer wherein the heat conductive layer comprises a heat conductive material having a heat conductivity of 25 W/m.Math.K to 500 W/m.Math.K; and a protective layer formed on a surface of the heat conductive layer, wherein the protective layer includes at least one of a porous polymer layer and a ceramic layer. An electrochemical device including the negative electrode for a lithium metal battery. The negative electrode for a lithium metal battery includes a heat conductive layer and a protective layer, and can inhibit growth of lithium dendrite in a negative electrode for a lithium metal battery and improve the cycle life of an electrochemical device.

A non-aqueous magnesium battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte. The positive electrode contains a positive electrode active material and can occlude and release magnesium ions. The electrolyte solution contains, for example, a magnesium salt. The positive electrode active material contains nickel oxyhydroxide, and the nickel oxyhydroxide is layered.

An electrode comprising KVOPO.sub.4 as an active ingredient, wherein the electrode is capable of electrochemical insertion and release of alkali metal ions, e.g., sodium ions. The KVOPO.sub.4 may be milled to carbon particles to increase conductivity. A method of forming an electrode is provided, comprising milling a mixture of ammonium metavanadate, ammonium phosphate monobasic, and potassium carbonate; heating the milled mixture to a reaction temperature, and holding the reaction temperature until a solid phase synthesis of KVOPO.sub.4 occurs; milling the KVOPO.sub.4 together with conductive particles to form a conductive mixture of fine particles; and adding binder material to form a conductive cathode. A sodium ion battery is provided having a conductive KVOPO.sub.4 cathode, a sodium ion donor anode, and a sodium ion transport electrolyte. The VOPO.sub.4, preferably has a volume greater than 90 Å.sup.3 per VOPO.sub.4.

The present invention is directed to the modification of sodium electrochemical interfaces to improve performance of sodium ion-conducting ceramics in a variety of electrochemical applications. Enhanced mating of the separator-sodium interface by means of engineered coatings or other surface modifications results in lower interfacial resistance and higher performance at increased current densities, enabling the effective operation of molten sodium batteries and other electrochemical technologies at low and high temperatures.

A molten metal battery system includes a plurality of secondary cells electrically connected in series with each other and comprising a plurality of molten metal anodes arranged fluidly in parallel with each other. The system also includes a plurality of electrically isolated molten metal reservoirs, each of the molten metal reservoirs fluidly connected to a corresponding secondary cell of the plurality of secondary cells and configured to exchange molten metal with the corresponding secondary cell while preventing electrical shunt current from flowing between the plurality of secondary cells via the molten metal.

An embodiment is directed to an electrode composition for use in an energy storage device cell. The electrode comprises composite particles, each comprising carbon that is biomass-derived and active material. The active material exhibits partial vapor pressure below around 10.sup.−13 torr at around 400 K, and an areal capacity loading of the electrode composition ranges from around 2 mAh/cm.sup.2 to around 16 mAh/cm.sup.2.

A moisture-sensitive device is provided that includes a fluid-sensitive battery. Exposure of the battery to urine or some other fluid causes the battery to provide a voltage that can be used to power a transmitter. The transmitter can then provide a wireless transmission indicative of the battery having been exposed to the fluid. This moisture-sensitive device can be provided in a diaper and transmissions produced by the device can be detected using a smart phone or other device and used to indicate to a user that the diaper has been soiled. By powering the transmitter using the fluid-sensitive battery and storing the battery in a dry state, such a device can be stored for a protracted period of time before use.

The present invention provides an electrochemical cell comprising an anode; an electrolyte having a solubility for sulfur-containing species of less than 15 mM; a cathode comprising greater than 65 wt. % sulfur, wherein the cathode comprises a carbon-sulfur composite material; and wherein the composite material comprises greater than 65 weight % sulfur based on the total weight of the composite material; and wherein the carbon sulfur composite material is formed from an electroconductive carbon material having an average pore volume of 1.5.sup.−3 cm3 g.sup.−1 and an average pore diameter of less than 3 nm.

Provided herein are energy storage devices. In some cases, the energy storage devices are capable of being transported on a vehicle and storing a large amount of energy. An energy storage device is provided comprising at least one liquid metal electrode, an energy storage capacity of at least about 1 MWh and a response time less than or equal to about 100 milliseconds (ms).