Methods of preparing Si-based anode slurries and anode made thereof are provided. Methods comprise coating silicon particles within a size range of 300-700 nm by silver and/or tin particles within a size range of 20-500 nm, mixing the coated silicon particles with conductive additives and binders in a solvent to form anode slurry, and preparing an anode from the anode slurry. Alternatively or complementarily, silicon particles may be milled in an organic solvent, and, in the same organic solvent, coating agent(s), conductive additive(s) and binder(s) may be added to the milled silicon particlesto form the Si-based anode slurry. Alternatively or complementarily, milled silicon particles may be mixed, in a first organic solvent, with coating agent(s), conductive additive(s) and binder(s)to form the Si-based anode slurry. Disclosed methods simplify the anode production process and provide equivalent or superior anodes.

Methods of preparing Si-based anode slurries and anode made thereof are provided. Methods comprise coating silicon particles within a size range of 300-700 nm by silver and/or tin particles within a size range of 20-500 nm, mixing the coated silicon particles with conductive additives and binders in a solvent to form anode slurry, and preparing an anode from the anode slurry. Alternatively or complementarily, silicon particles may be milled in an organic solvent, and, in the same organic solvent, coating agent(s), conductive additive(s) and binder(s) may be added to the milled silicon particlesto form the Si-based anode slurry. Alternatively or complementarily, milled silicon particles may be mixed, in a first organic solvent, with coating agent(s), conductive additive(s) and binder(s)to form the Si-based anode slurry. Disclosed methods simplify the anode production process and provide equivalent or superior anodes.

In some embodiments, a battery, a cathode for a battery, and a method for making a cathode and a battery are provided. The method comprises the steps of at least combining an electrode active material, one or more conductive diluents, a binder and a solvent to form an electrode active mixture having a first solvent to powder weight ratio, reducing a solvent to powder weight ratio to form a paste, feeding the paste into a plastic tube; and calendering the plastic tube. A dry cathode mixture is provided. The dry cathode mixture includes a cathode active material, a conductive diluent and a polymeric binder. A solvent is mixed with the dry mixture to form a slurry. Solvent is removed from the slurry to form a doughy composition. The doughy composition is calender sheeted to form a sheet. The sheet is baked at a temperature of 30 C. to 120 C. for 15 minutes to 6 hours to form a dry sheet. The dry sheet is cut into coupons. The coupons are pressed to form a pressed coupon. The pressed coupons are baked to form cathodes, by subjecting the pressed coupons to a temperature of 30 C. to 120 C. for at least one hour. The cathodes may be processed into batteries.

In some embodiments, a battery, a cathode for a battery, and a method for making a cathode and a battery are provided. The method comprises the steps of at least combining an electrode active material, one or more conductive diluents, a binder and a solvent to form an electrode active mixture having a first solvent to powder weight ratio, reducing a solvent to powder weight ratio to form a paste, feeding the paste into a plastic tube; and calendering the plastic tube. A dry cathode mixture is provided. The dry cathode mixture includes a cathode active material, a conductive diluent and a polymeric binder. A solvent is mixed with the dry mixture to form a slurry. Solvent is removed from the slurry to form a doughy composition. The doughy composition is calender sheeted to form a sheet. The sheet is baked at a temperature of 30 C. to 120 C. for 15 minutes to 6 hours to form a dry sheet. The dry sheet is cut into coupons. The coupons are pressed to form a pressed coupon. The pressed coupons are baked to form cathodes, by subjecting the pressed coupons to a temperature of 30 C. to 120 C. for at least one hour. The cathodes may be processed into batteries.

The present invention relates to a secondary cell in the form of a hybrid system of a zinc-air battery and a silver oxide-zinc battery, comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte. The anode contains zinc (Zn) and/or zinc oxide (ZnO2), and the cathode is configured as a gas diffusion electrode which contains a mixture of silver (Ag) and/or silver oxide (Ag2O/AgO) with a catalyst for the electrochemical oxygen evolution, wherein the catalyst is selected from cobalt oxide Co3O4), manganese oxide (Mn3O4 or MnO2), cobalt-nickel oxide (CoNiO2), lanthanum-calcium-cobalt oxide (LaxCa1-xCoO3), ruthenium oxide (RuO2), iridium oxide (IrO2), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and mixtures thereof.

The invention further relates to an accumulator which comprises one or a plurality of secondary cells, as well as a method for charging and a method for discharging a secondary cell or an accumulator.

A method for producing a silver nanoparticle dispersion according to the present invention includes the steps of mixing an amine compound, a resin, and a silver salt to yield a complex compound; and heating and decomposing the complex compound to form silver nanoparticles. A silver nanoparticle ink can be obtained by adding an organic solvent to the silver nanoparticle dispersion obtained by this method. The resin includes, for example, a polymer exhibiting viscosity at a temperature within the range of 20 C. to 50 C. or a high molecular weight compound exhibiting viscosity at a temperature within the range of 20 C. to 50 C.

A method for producing a silver nanoparticle dispersion according to the present invention includes the steps of mixing an amine compound, a resin, and a silver salt to yield a complex compound; and heating and decomposing the complex compound to form silver nanoparticles. A silver nanoparticle ink can be obtained by adding an organic solvent to the silver nanoparticle dispersion obtained by this method. The resin includes, for example, a polymer exhibiting viscosity at a temperature within the range of 20 C. to 50 C. or a high molecular weight compound exhibiting viscosity at a temperature within the range of 20 C. to 50 C.

An article having a continuous network of zinc and a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network. The zinc network is a fused, monolithic structure. A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; annealing and/or sintering the sponge to form an annealed and/or sintered sponge; heating the annealed and/or sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

An article having a continuous network of zinc and a continuous network of void space interpenetrating the zinc network. The zinc network is a fused, monolithic structure. A method of: providing an emulsion having a zinc powder and a liquid phase; drying the emulsion to form a sponge; annealing and/or sintering the sponge to form an annealed and/or sintered sponge; heating the annealed and/or sintered sponge in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxidized sponge having zinc oxide on the surface of the oxidized sponge; and electrochemically reducing the zinc oxide to form a zinc metal sponge.

Compositions, materials, methods, articles of manufacture and devices that pertain to chemical-resistant elastomer binders and flexible, printed, high-performance electrochemical systems based on said binders. The chemical-resistant, flexible elastomer binder can be used in printable, flexible high areal energy density batteries for wearable and flexible electronics and printable, flexible fuel cells. More generally, the disclosed binder material can be used in any printed electrochemical and electronic systems, e.g., supercapacitors, electrochromic cells, sensors, circuit interconnections, organic electrochemical transistors, touch screens, solar cells, etc.