A lithium-ion battery anode layer, comprising an anode active material embedded in pores of a solid graphene foam composed of multiple pores and pore walls, wherein (a) the pore walls contain a pristine graphene material having essentially no (less than 0.01%) non-carbon elements or a non-pristine graphene material having 0.01% to 5% by weight of non-carbon elements; (b) the anode active material is in an amount from 0.5% to 95% by weight based on the total weight of the graphene foam and the anode active material combined, and (c) some of the multiple pores are lodged with particles of the anode active material and other pores are particle-free, and the graphene foam is sufficiently elastic to accommodate volume expansion and shrinkage of the particles of the anode active material during a battery charge-discharge cycle to avoid expansion of the anode layer. Preferably, the solid graphene foam has a density from 0.01 to 1.7 g/cm.sup.3, a specific surface area from 50 to 2,000 m.sup.2/g, a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/mK per unit of specific gravity, and/or an electrical conductivity no less than 1,000 S/cm per unit of specific gravity.

Lithium ion battery anodes including graphenic carbon particles are disclosed. Lithium ion batteries containing such anodes are also disclosed. The anodes include mixtures of lithium-reactive metal particles such as silicon, graphenic carbon particles, and a binder. The use of graphenic carbon particles in the anodes results in improved performance of the lithium ion batteries.

A battery electrode composition is provided that comprises composite particles. Each of the composite particles in the composition (which may represent all or a portion of a larger composition) may comprise a porous electrode particle and a filler material. The porous electrode particle may comprise active material provided to store and release ions during battery operation. The filler material may occupy at least a portion of the pores of the electrode particle. The filler material may be liquid and not substantially conductive with respect to electron transport.

Disclosed herein are methods of making an electrode. The method includes contacting an electrode material with a mixture that includes an alkali metal, an organic solvent, and an aromatic compound. Also disclosed herein are methods of making a battery that includes an electrode provided by the disclosed methods.

The present invention relates to an anode active material for a lithium secondary battery, comprising a carbon material, and a coating layer formed on the surface of particles of the carbon material and having a plurality of Sn-based domains having an average diameter of 1 μm or less. The inventive anode active material having a Sn-based domains coating layer on the surface of a carbon material can surprisingly prevent stress due to volume expansion which generates by an alloy of Sn and lithium. Also, the inventive method for preparing an anode active material can easily control the thickness of the coating layer.

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).

An anode active material of a lithium-ion battery is provided. The active material of the anode of the lithium-ion battery includes silicon, tin and copper-zinc alloy, in which tin is substantially in an elemental state. Moreover, an anode of a lithium-ion battery is provided. The anode of the lithium-ion battery includes the active material as mentioned above.

Provided is an electrode, comprising: an electrode current collector, a metal nanowire formed on a surface of the electrode current collector, and a conductive layer surrounding the outside of the metal nanowire, wherein a gap is formed between the metal nanowire and the conductive layer, so that the metal nanowire and the conductive layer are spaced apart from each other without direct contact between them.

A compound of formula Li.sub.4+xMnM.sup.1.sub.aM.sup.2.sub.bO.sub.c wherein: M.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting in Ni, Mn, Co, Fe and a mixture thereof; M.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting in Si, Ti, Mo, B, Al and a mixture thereof;
with: −1.2≦x≦3; 0<a≦2.5; 0≦b≦1.5; 4.3≦c≦10; and c=4+a+n.Math.b+x/2
wherein n=2 when M.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting in Si, Ti, Mo or a mixture thereof; and n=1.5 when M.sup.2 is selected from the group consisting in B, Al or a mixture thereof; and n=0 if b=0.

A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery of an embodiment includes an exterior member; a positive electrode housed in the exterior member, a negative electrode containing an active material and housed in the exterior member so as to be spatially separated from the positive electrode via a separator, and a nonaqueous electrolyte filled in the exterior member. The negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer on the negative electrode current collector. A tensile strength of the negative electrode is 400 N/mm.sup.2 or more and 1200 N/mm.sup.2 or less. A peel strength between the negative electrode current collector and the negative electrode active material layer is 1.5 N/cm or more and 4 N/cm or less.