The present disclosure provides a sheet-form electrode for a secondary battery, comprising a current collector; an electrode active material layer formed on one surface of the current collector; and a first porous supporting layer formed on the electrode active material layer. The sheet-form electrode for a secondary battery according to the present disclosure has supporting layers on at least one surface thereof to exhibit surprisingly improved flexibility and prevent the release of the electrode active material layer from a current collector even if intense external forces are applied to the electrode, thereby preventing the decrease of battery capacity and improving the cycle life characteristic of the battery.

A method for making a lithium-sulfur battery cathode material includes steps of providing a carbon nanotube source; providing sulfur and a first solvent; adding the carbon nanotube source and the sulfur into the first solvent, and ultrasonically agitating the first solvent to form a first suspension. A second solvent is added during an agitation process to form a second suspension and the first solvent and the second solvent are removed from the second suspension. The present disclosure also relates to a lithium-sulfur battery cathode material obtained by the method.

Alkoxide magnesium halide compounds having the formula:

ROMgX(1)

wherein R is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group that is unsubstituted, or alternatively, substituted with one or more heteroatom linkers and/or one or more heteroatom-containing groups comprising at least one heteroatom selected from fluorine, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and silicon; and X is a halide atom. Also described are electrolyte compositions containing a compound of Formula (1) in a suitable polar aprotic or ionic solvent, as well as magnesium batteries in which such electrolytes are incorporated.

Disclosed are electrochemical devices and methods for making electrochemical devices such as metal infiltrated electrodes for solid state lithium ion and lithium metal batteries. In one method for forming an electrode, a metal is infiltrated into the pore space of the active material of the electrode providing improved electronic conductivity to the electrode. The electrode may also include a solid-state ion conducting material providing improved ion conductivity to the electrode. Before infiltration of the metal, a stabilization coating may be applied to the active material and/or the solid-state ion conducting material to the stabilize electrode interfaces by slowing, but not eliminating, the chemical reactions that occur at elevated temperatures during sintering of the active material and/or the solid-state ion conducting material forming the electrode.

An electrochemical cell including at least one nitrogen-containing compound is disclosed. The at least one nitrogen-containing compound may form part of or be included in: an anode structure, a cathode structure, an electrolyte and/or a separator of the electrochemical cell. Also disclosed is a battery including the electrochemical cell.

The invention relates to Chevrel-phase materials and methods of preparing these materials utilizing a precursor approach. The Chevrel-phase materials are useful in assembling electrodes, e.g., cathodes, for use in electrochemical cells, such as rechargeable batteries. The Chevrel-phase materials have a general formula of Mo.sub.6Z.sub.8 and the precursors have a general formula of M.sub.xMo.sub.6Z.sub.8. The cathode containing the Chevrel-phase material in accordance with the invention can be combined with a magnesium-containing anode and an electrolyte.

An immobilized chalcogen system or body includes an element of chalcogen, an electrically conductive material, and a hydrophilic membrane gate. The hydrophilic membrane gate may be used to isolate hydrophobic regions, one related to polychalcogenide ion(s) and another related to a hydrophobic electrolyte system. The hydrophilic membrane gate may prevent polychalcogenide from forming, and may provide control of undesirable parasitic mass transport and undesirable electron transport inside a chalcogen-based battery, and thereby allow the battery to cycle at a high specific capacity with a long cycling life. If desired, the immobilized chalcogen system or body may be employed in a cathode of a rechargeable battery.

An anode for use in an energy storage device is provided. The anode includes a current collector having an electrically conductive substrate and a surface layer overlaying a first side of the electrically conductive substrate. The surface layer may include a metal oxide or a metal chalcogenide. The anode may also include a lithium storage layer overlaying the surface layer. The lithium storage layer may have a total content of silicon, germanium, or a combination thereof of at least 40 atomic %. The lithium storage layer may include less than 10 atomic % carbon. The anode may also include a plurality of lithium storage filamentary structures in contact with a second side of the electrically conductive substrate. The second side is opposite the first side. The plurality of lithium storage filamentary structures may include silicon, germanium, tin, or a combination thereof.

The present invention relates to the application of a force to enhance the performance of an electrochemical cell. The force may comprise, in some instances, an anisotropic force with a component normal to an active surface of the anode of the electrochemical cell. In the embodiments described herein, electrochemical cells (e.g., rechargeable batteries) may undergo a charge/discharge cycle involving deposition of metal (e.g., lithium metal) on a surface of the anode upon charging and reaction of the metal on the anode surface, wherein the metal diffuses from the anode surface, upon discharging. The uniformity with which the metal is deposited on the anode may affect cell performance. For example, when lithium metal is redeposited on an anode, it may, in some cases, deposit unevenly forming a rough surface. The roughened surface may increase the amount of lithium metal available for undesired chemical reactions which may result in decreased cycling lifetime and/or poor cell performance. The application of force to the electrochemical cell has been found, in accordance with the invention, to reduce such behavior and to improve the cycling lifetime and/or performance of the cell.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a nonaqueous electrolyte battery. The negative electrode of the battery includes a negative electrode active material which can absorb and release lithium ions at a negative electrode potential of 0.4 V (V.S. Li/Li.sup.+) or more. The battery satisfying the following equations (I) and (II):
1?Q2/Q1(I)
0.5?C/A?0.999(II)