The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell comprising an anode of a Group IA metal and a cathode of a composite material prepared from an aqueous mixture of iron sulfate, nickel sulfate, and sulfur. The cathode material of the present invention provides for a lithium electrochemical cell having an increased operating voltage and power performance with high discharge capacity as compared to a lithium cell comprising nickel disulfide cathode material. In addition, the cathode material of the present invention exhibits a smaller initial irreversible voltage loss as compared to iron disulfide. This makes the cathode material of the present invention particularly useful for implantable medical applications.

Nanoporous-carbon grown via pulsed laser deposition can be used as an electrically conductive anode host material for Mg.sup.2+ intercalation in rechargeable magnesium batteries. Nanoporous carbon has high surface area, and an open, accessible pore structure tunable via mass density that can improve diffusion. A preferred nanoporous carbon mass density of about 0.5 g/cm.sup.3 does not mechanically degrade with successive insertion/de-insertion cycles and provides an average interplanar spacing between graphene sheet fragments of greater than about 4.8 Å, large enough for reversible intercalation of partially-solvated Mg.sup.2+.

An aluminum-based cathode (positive electrode) for storage cells formed by deposition of a layer of aluminum metal on a porous conductive substrate. Storage cells and batteries having the cathode. The porous conducting substrate can be metal, conductive carbon or a refractory material, such as a metal boride or metal carbide. The aluminum-deposited porous substrate is in electrical contact with a cathode current collector and a suitable liquid catholyte. The cathode is, for example, combined with a molten alkali metal anode to form a storage cell. The alkali metal and the catholyte are molten or liquid at operating temperatures of the cell. Methods of storing energy and generating energy using cell having the aluminum-based cathode are provided.

A molten sodium-based battery comprises a robust, highly Na-ion conductive, zero-crossover separator and a fully inorganic, fully liquid, highly cyclable molten cathode that operates at low temperatures.

Electrochemical cells operating with molten electrodes and electrolyte, where the cathode is an alloy of a metal and metalloid, may be assembled in a discharged state by combining first an anodic metal with a cathodic metal to form a binary alloy. This binary alloy is then placed in a cell housing with the metalloid and the electrolyte, all in the solid state. The temperature is raised to, and maintained at, a temperature above the melting point of the highest melting component until components assembled into horizontal layers of electrolyte above a layer of a ternary alloy formed by the combination of the binary alloy and the metalloid. A charge and discharged cycle is then run through the electrochemical cell.

The invention relates to a sodium-ion secondary cell comprising a cathode and an anode, wherein the cathode comprises one or more cathode electrode active materials which include at least one layered nickel-containing sodium oxide material, and the anode comprises a layer of anode electrode active material disposed on an anode substrate; where in the layer of anode electrode active material comprises at least one disordered carbon material, and the mass of the layer of anode electrode active material per square metre of the anode substrate is less than 80 gm.sup.−2-; further wherein the ratio of the mass of the cathode electrode active material to the mass of the layer of anode electrode active material is from 0.1 to 10, and wherein the thickness of the layer of anode electrode active material on the anode substrate is less than 100 μm.

The present disclosure is generally related to separators for use in lithium metal batteries, and associated systems and products. Certain embodiments are related to separators that form or are repaired when an electrode is held at a voltage. In some embodiments, an electrochemical cell may comprise an electrolyte that comprises a precursor for the separator.

A negative electrode includes a metal substrate and a polymeric single-ion conductor coating formed on a surface of the metal substrate. The metal substrate is selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, and zinc. The polymeric single-ion conductor coating is formed of i) a metal salt of a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene-based fluoropolymer copolymer or ii) a polymeric metal salt having an initial polymeric backbone and pendent metal salt groups attached to the initial polymeric backbone.

A dendrite penetration-resistant layer for a rechargeable alkali metal battery, comprising multiple graphene sheets or platelets or exfoliated graphite flakes that are chemically bonded by a lithium- or sodium-containing species to form an integral layer that prevents dendrite penetration through the integral layer, wherein the lithium-containing species is selected from Li.sub.2CO.sub.3, Li.sub.2O, Li.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4, LiOH, LiX, ROCO.sub.2Li, HCOLi, ROLi, (ROCO.sub.2Li).sub.2, (CH.sub.2OCO.sub.2Li).sub.2, Li.sub.2S, Li.sub.xSO.sub.y, Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, Na.sub.2O, Na.sub.2C.sub.2O.sub.4, NaOH, NaX, ROCO.sub.2Na, HCONa, RONa, (ROCO.sub.2Na).sub.2, (CH.sub.2OCO.sub.2Na).sub.2, Na.sub.2S, Na.sub.xSO.sub.y, or a combination thereof, wherein X=F, Cl, I, or Br, R=a hydrocarbon group, x=0-1, y=1-4. Also provided is a process for producing a dendrite penetration-resistant layer based on the principle of electrochemical decomposition of an electrolyte in the presence of multiple graphene sheets.

The present disclosure concerns an electrolyte suitable for calcium-based secondary cells, comprising calcium ions and an electrolyte medium, wherein the electrolyte is not solid at standard conditions and wherein the electrolyte medium includes at least two distinct non-aqueous solvents.