Lithium-containing nanofibers, as well as processes for making the same, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments described herein, using high throughput (e.g., gas assisted and/or water based) electrospinning processes produce nanofibers of high energy capacity materials with continuous lithium-containing matrices or discrete crystal domains.

A negative electrode for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries includes a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode mixture layer disposed on the negative electrode current collector, and the negative electrode mixture layer contains a negative electrode active material containing lithium titanate, a binder, and a (meth)acrylic acid-based polymer. The amount of the (meth)acrylic acid-based polymer in the negative electrode mixture layer is 10 mass % or less relative to the total amount of the (meth)acrylic acid-based polymer and the binder. The amount of the (meth)acrylic acid-based polymer in a portion of the negative electrode mixture layer that extends from the surface to the middle of the negative electrode mixture layer in the thickness direction (upper region) is 60 mass % or more relative to the total amount of the (meth)acrylic acid-based polymer.

A composite anode active material includes a first core and a coating layer on the first core, in which the coating layer includes an ion-conductive polymer and the amount of the ion-conductive polymer is from about 0.0001 wt % to about 0.04 wt % based on a total weight of the composite anode active material. A lithium battery including the composite anode active material may have improved thickness expansion rate, and enhanced initial efficiency and lifespan characteristics.

The disclosed embodiments are generally directed to optical systems. The optical systems may include a proximal lens that may transmit light toward an eye of a user. The optical systems may also include a distal lens that may, in combination with the proximal lens, correct for at least a portion of a refractive error of the eye of the user. The optical systems may further include a selective transmission interface. The selective transmission interface may couple the proximal lens to the distal lens, transmits light having a selected property, and does not transmit light that does not have the selected property. The optical system can also include an accommodative lens, such as a liquid lens. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

A sulfur-carbon composite and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same, and in particular, to a sulfur-carbon composite comprising a porous carbon material; and sulfur on at least a part of an inside and outside surface of the porous carbon material, wherein the inside and outside surface of the porous carbon material include a coating layer comprising an ion conducting polymer, and a lithium-sulfur battery including the same. Also provided is an ion conducting polymer coating layer on a porous carbon material surface which thereby improves a lithium ion conducting property to a positive electrode, and as a result, may enhance capacity and life time properties of a lithium-sulfur battery.

A freestanding composite electrode film is made of an n-type or p-type electrochemically active polymer an electrolyte and/or a conductive carbon material. The freestanding composite electrode film may be used to form an anode or cathode layer of a polymer battery. The polymer battery may be formed from a stack/plurality of anode or cathode layers, each layer being formed from a freestanding composite electrode film.

An electrode and an energy storage device including the electrode, the electrode including: an active material including a material structure of metal sulfides; a conductive polymer including an ionic liquid disposed on the active material; wherein the combination of the conductive polymer and the ionic liquid is arranged to maintain integrity of the material structure and facilitate ion transportation across the material structure during an operation of charging and discharging cycle of the energy storage device.

A low resistance multivalent metal anode is provided. The metal is present in the anode as a Riecke highly active particle. Anode resistivity of 1000 .Math.cm.sup.2 or lower can be obtained. Metals employed include magnesium, calcium, zinc and aluminum. Electrochemical cells containing the low resistance multivalent metal anodes are also provided.

Polymer derived ceramic (PDC) materials, compositions and methods of making high capacity, long cycle, long life battery anodes to improve the performance of batteries of all types, including but not limited to coin cell batteries, electric vehicle (EV) batteries, hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) batteries, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) batteries, battery electric vehicle (BEV) batteries, lithium cobalt (LCO) batteries, lithium iron (LFP) batteries; and lithium-ion (Li) batteries, and lead acid batteries. Silicon is incorporated in the PDC material at a molecular level when reacting a polymer derived ceramic precursor and a silicon hydride constituent or a silicon alkoxide constituent to form a PDC composition useful as a battery anode material. The resulting battery anode materials increase the specific capacity of a battery measured in milliampere-hours per gram (mAh/g) and increase the life cycle of a battery while minimizing distortion and stress of the anode structure.

Bipolar electrodes comprising a carbon felt loaded with a polymer material and a nanocarbon material are described herein. The bipolar electrodes are useful in electrochemical cells. In particular, the loaded carbon felt can be used in bipolar electrodes of zinc-halide electrolyte batteries. Processes for manufacturing the loaded carbon felt are also described, involving contacting (e.g., dipping) a carbon felt in a mixture of solvent, polymer material and nanocarbon material.