A secondary battery includes: a cathode including an active material; an anode; and an electrolytic solution, and the active material includes a plurality of active material particles as primary particles and a carbon material. The active material particles contain a polyanion-based compound. The carbon material contains a first carbon material present on surfaces of the active material particles, and a second carbon material present between the active material particles provided with the first carbon material. A ratio B/A between a total carbon amount A and a surface carbon amount B of the active material satisfies 7<B/A<11.5. A ratio D/C between a specific surface area C of the active material, and an oil feed amount D of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone satisfies 1.5<D/C≦2.

Electrolytes, anodes, lithium ion cells and methods are provided for preventing lithium metallization in lithium ion batteries to enhance their safety. Electrolytes comprise up to 20% ionic liquid additives which form a mobile solid electrolyte interface during charging of the cell and prevent lithium metallization and electrolyte decomposition on the anode while maintaining the lithium ion mobility at a level which enables fast charging of the batteries. Anodes are typically metalloid-based, for example include silicon, germanium, tin and/or aluminum. A surface layer on the anode bonds, at least some of the ionic liquid additive to form an immobilized layer that provides further protection at the interface between the anode and the electrolyte, prevents metallization of lithium on the former and decomposition of the latter.

The invention relates to new conjugated semiconducting polymers containing thermally cleavable side groups. The thermally cleavable side groups are selected from among carbonate groups and carbamate groups, By thermally cleaving side groups, the solubility or the polymers can he reduced in a targeted manner. The polymers are used as semiconductors in organic electronic (OE) devices, especially in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, organic photodetectors (OPDs), organic light emitling diodes (OLEDs), and organic field effect transistors (OFETs).

A method for making a sulfur based cathode composite material is disclosed. Polyacrylonitrile and elemental sulfur are dissolved together in a first solvent to form a first solution. An electrically conductive carbonaceous material is added to the first solution to mix with the polyacrylonitrile and the elemental sulfur. An environment in which the polyacrylonitrile and the elemental sulfur are located in is changed to reduce a solubility of the polyacrylonitrile and the elemental sulfur in a changed environment to simultaneously precipitate the polyacrylonitrile and the elemental sulfur, thereby forming a precipitate having the electrically conductive carbonaceous material. The precipitate is heated to chemically react the polyacrylonitrile with the elemental sulfur. A sulfur based cathode composite material is also disclosed.

A method for making a sulfur based cathode composite material is disclosed. Polyacrylonitrile and elemental sulfur are dissolved together in a first solvent to form a first solution. An additive is added to the first solution to mix with the polyacrylonitrile and the elemental sulfur. The additive is at least one of metal and metal sulfide. An environment in which the polyacrylonitrile and the elemental sulfur are located in is changed to reduce a solubility of the polyacrylonitrile and the elemental sulfur in a changed environment to simultaneously precipitate the polyacrylonitrile and the elemental sulfur, thereby forming a precipitate having the additive. The precipitate is heated to chemically react the polyacrylonitrile with the elemental sulfur.

An anode composite material includes an anode active material and a polymer composited with the anode active material. The polymer is obtained by polymerizing a maleimide type monomer with an organic diamine type compound. The maleimide type monomer is a maleimide monomer, a bismaleimide monomer, a multimaleimide monomer, a maleimide type derivative monomer, or combinations thereof. A method for forming the anode composite material and a lithium ion battery are also disclosed.

An electroactive device may include (1) an electroactive polymer element having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, (2) a primary electrode abutting the first surface, and (3) a secondary electrode abutting the second surface. The electroactive polymer element may be transformed from an initial state to a deformed state and may achieve substantially uniform strain by the application of an electrostatic field produced by a potential difference between the electrodes. Various other devices, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Disclosed are a method for manufacturing an electrode including mixing at least two electrode materials selected from a carbon material, a metal oxide precursor, and a conductive polymer with a solvent to prepare a mixture, coating the mixture on a current collector, and radiating IPL (intense pulsed light) on the mixture coated on the current collector, the electrode manufactured according to the method, and a supercapacitor and rechargeable lithium battery including the electrode.

The present invention relates to a hierarchical composite structure comprising an open cell graphene foam or graphene-like foam, wherein the graphene foam or graphene-like foam is coated with a conductive nanoporous spongy structure and wherein at least 10% v/v of the hollow of the pores of the graphene foam or graphene-like foam is filled with the conductive nanoporous spongy structure. The invention also relates to a process for preparing a hierarchical composite structure wherein a conductive nanoporous spongy structure is electrodeposited so as to coat the open-cell graphene foam or graphene-like foam and to partially fill the hollow of the pores of the graphene foam or graphene-like foam.

In one embodiment, a secondary battery is provided, which includes an electrolytic solution, and a positive electrode and a negative electrode which are immersed in the electrolytic solution. The electrolytic solution contains water, an electrolyte salt, and at least one kind of an organic solvent with a relative permittivity of not more than 42. The relative permittivity of the electrolytic solution fractionated when converted according to a volume fraction is not more than 78.50.