Silicon-polymer composite anodes; a method for producing the anodes; and dual salt electrolytes to improve the conductivity, specific capacity, rate capability, and stability of the anodes; suitable for use in electrochemical energy storage devices are disclosed.

An acidified metal oxide (“AMO”) material, preferably in monodisperse nanoparticulate form 20 nm or less in size, having a pH<7 when suspended in a 5 wt % aqueous solution and a Hammett function H.sub.0>−12, at least on its surface. The AMO material is useful in applications such as a battery electrode, catalyst, or photovoltaic component.

An anode for an energy storage device such as a lithium-ion energy storage device is disclosed. The anode includes a current collector having a metal oxide layer, a first lithium storage layer overlaying the current collector, a first intermediate layer overlaying at least a portion of the first lithium storage layer, and a second lithium storage layer overlaying the first intermediate layer. The first lithium storage layer is a continuous porous lithium storage layer having a total content of silicon, germanium, or a combination thereof, of at least 40 atomic %.

Provided is a lithium secondary battery including a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material, a separator interposed between a positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte solution. The negative electrode active material includes a silicon-based oxide; and the electrolyte solution includes a lithium salt, a fluorine-substituted cyclic carbonate compound, a non-aqueous organic solvent, and a difluorophosphite compound.

Electrolytes are described that involve lithium salt blends and compatible nonaqueous solvents that provide to high rate performance, charging and discharging, of lithium ion cells using silicon-based active materials, such as silicon suboxide composites, for example, silicon oxide/silicon/carbon composites. The lithium salts generally were a blend of LiPF.sub.6, and LiFSI or LiTFSI. The solvents generally comprised fluoroethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate with optional cosolvents and/or other additives.

A non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery, and a lithium secondary battery including the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery includes a lithium salt, an organic solvent, and a compound represented by the following Formula 1, and has an excellent effect of scavenging decomposition products generated from the lithium salt, and thus, may improve overall performance of the battery:

##STR00001## wherein in Formula 1, A is a C1 to C5 alkyl group.

The present invention relates to a negative electrode active material including a silicon-based core particle and an outer carbon coating layer formed on the silicon-based core particle, wherein the outer carbon coating layer contains graphene having a D/G ratio of 0.35 or less in the Raman spectrum.

A silicon-based negative electrode material and a method for preparing the same, a battery including the silicon-based negative electrode material, and a terminal are provided. The silicon-based negative electrode material includes a silicon-based matrix with a low silicon-oxygen ratio and silicon-based particles with a high silicon-oxygen ratio dispersed in the silicon-based matrix with the low silicon-oxygen ratio. A silicon-oxygen ratio of the silicon-based matrix with the low silicon-oxygen ratio is 1:x, and 1<x≤2. A silicon-oxygen ratio of the silicon-based particles with the high silicon-oxygen ratio is 1:y, and 0≤y≤1. The silicon-based matrix with the low silicon-oxygen ratio is silicon dioxide, or the silicon-based matrix with the low silicon-oxygen ratio includes silicon dioxide and silicon-containing crystal particles dispersed in the silicon dioxide.

The invention provides a silicon-based material and a method for producing the same. In all X-ray diffraction pattern obtained by using Cu Kα rays, the silicon-based material includes the following characteristic peaks: (A) a characteristic peak at 2θ=23°±1° with an intensity I.sub.A; (B) a characteristic peak at 2θ=28°±0.5° with an intensity I.sub.B; (C) a characteristic peak at 2θ=48°±1° with an intensity I.sub.C; and (D) a characteristic peak at 2θ=56°±1° with an intensity I.sub.D, wherein: 1.2≤I.sub.B/I.sub.A≤1.7; 1.8≤I.sub.B/I.sub.C≤2.3; and 1.6≤I.sub.B/I.sub.D≤3.0. The present invention also provides a battery negative electrode including the silicon-based material.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to devices, systems and methods of producing high energy density batteries having a semi-solid cathode that is thicker than the anode. An electrochemical cell can include a positive electrode current collector, a negative electrode current collector and an ion-permeable membrane disposed between the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector. The ion-permeable membrane is spaced a first distance from the positive electrode current collector and at least partially defines a positive electroactive zone. The ion-permeable membrane is spaced a second distance from the negative electrode current collector and at least partially defines a negative electroactive zone. The second distance is less than the first distance. A semi-solid cathode that includes a suspension of an active material and a conductive material in a non-aqueous liquid electrolyte is disposed in the positive electroactive zone, and an anode is disposed in the negative electroactive zone.