Provided is a method of manufacturing an alkali metal-selenium cell, comprising: (a) providing a cathode; (b) providing an alkali metal anode; and (c) combining the anode and the cathode and adding an electrolyte in ionic contact with the anode and the cathode to form the cell; wherein the cathode contains multiple particulates of a selenium-containing material selected from selenium, a selenium-carbon hybrid, selenium-graphite hybrid, selenium-graphene hybrid, conducting polymer-selenium hybrid, a metal selenide, a Se alloy or mixture with Sn, Sb, Bi, S, or Te, a selenium compound, or a combination thereof and wherein at least one of the particulates comprises one or a plurality of selenium-containing material particles being embraced or encapsulated by a thin layer of an elastomer having a recoverable tensile strain from 5% to 1000%, a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10.sup.−7 S/cm, and a thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 μm.

Disclosed is a process for producing semiconductor nanowires having a diameter or thickness from 2 nm to 100 nm, the process comprising: (A) preparing a semiconductor material particulate having a size from 50 nm to 500 m, selected from Ga, In, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, As, Sb, Bi, Te, a combination thereof, a compound thereof, or a combination thereof with Si; (B) depositing a catalytic metal, in the form of nanoparticles having a size from 1 nm to 100 nm or a coating having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 nm, onto surfaces of the semiconductor material particulate to form a catalyst metal-coated semiconductor material; and (C) exposing the catalyst metal-coated semiconductor material to a high temperature environment, from 100 C. to 2,500 C., for a period of time sufficient to enable a catalytic metal-assisted growth of multiple semiconductor nanowires from the particulate.

Provided are solid-state electrolyte structures. The solid-state electrolyte structures are ion-conducting materials. The solid-state electrolyte structures may be formed by 3-D printing using 3-D printable compositions. 3-D printable compositions may include ion-conducting materials and at least one dispersant, a binder, a plasticizer, or a solvent or any combination of one or more dispersant, binder, plasticizer, or solvent. The solid-state electrolyte structures can be used in electrochemical devices.

Three-terminal solid state Cu-ion actuated analog switching devices are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a switching device includes: depositing a channel layer on a substrate; forming a source contact and a drain contact on opposite ends of the channel layer; forming a solid electrolyte on the channel layer over the source contact and the drain contact; and depositing a gate onto the solid electrolyte, wherein the source contact, the drain contact, and the gate are three terminals of the switching device. A switching device and a method of operating a switching device are also provided.

A method of making an anode for use in an energy storage device is provided. The method includes providing a current collector having an electrically conductive substrate and a surface layer overlaying a first side of the electrically conductive substrate. A second side of the electrically conductive substrate includes a filament growth catalyst, wherein the second side is opposite the first. The method further includes depositing a lithium storage layer onto the surface layer using a first CVD process forming a plurality of lithium storage filamentary structures on the second side of the electrically conductive substrate using second CVD process.

A cathode for an electrochemical cell, wherein the cathode comprises a composite material comprising: i. electrochemically active selenium, or a mixture of electrochemically active selenium and electrochemically active sulfur; and ii. an electronically conductive carbon material having an average pore volume of 1.5-10 cm.sup.3 g.sup.1 and an average pore diameter of less than 10 nm, for example an average pore volume of 1.5-2 cm.sup.3 g.sup.1 and an average pore diameter of 1 nm to 3 nm.

Provided are hybrid active material structures for use in electrodes of electrochemical cells and methods of forming these structures. A hybrid active material structure comprises at least one first substructure and at least one second substructures, each comprising a different layered active material and interfacing each other. Combining multiple layered active materials into the same structure and arranging these materials in specific ways allow achieving synergetic effects of their desirable characteristics. For example, a layered active material, which forms a stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer, may be form an outer shell of a hybrid active material structure and interface with electrolyte. This shell may surround another layered active material, which has a higher capacity but would otherwise forma a less stable SEI layer. Furthermore, multiple layered active materials may be arranged into a stack, in which one of these materials may operate as an ionic and/or electronic conductor.

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.

One embodiment of the invention is an alkali metal-selenium battery comprising an anode, a selenium cathode, an electrolyte, an electronically insulating porous separator, and an electronically conducting graphene separator layer comprising a solid graphene foam, paper or fabric that is permeable to lithium ions or sodium ions but is substantially non-permeable to selenium or metal selenide, wherein the graphene separator layer is disposed between the selenium cathode layer and the electronically insulating porous separator layer and the graphene separator layer contains pristine graphene sheets or non-pristine graphene sheets having 0.01% to 20% by weight of non-carbon elements, wherein the non-pristine graphene is selected from graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, boron-doped graphene, nitrogen-doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof.

The present invention relates to a rechargeable electrochemical battery cell having a housing, a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, the electrolyte containing sulfur dioxide and a conductive salt of the active metal of the cell. The total quantity of oxygen-containing compounds contained in the cell that are able to react with the sulfur dioxide, reducing the sulfur dioxide, is not more than 10 mMol per Ah theoretical capacitance of the cell.