A compound represented by the Formula 1 and having an argyrodite-type crystal structure:
Li.sub.aM1.sub.xM2.sub.wPS.sub.yM3.sub.z  Formula 1
wherein M1 is at least one element of Group 2 or Group 11 of the periodic table, M2 is at least one metal element other than Li of Group 1 of the periodic table, M3 is at least one element of Group 17 of the periodic table, and wherein 4≤a≤8, 0<x<0.5, 0≤w<0.5, 3≤y≤7, and 0≤z≤2.

Articles and methods including composite layers for protection of electrodes in electrochemical cells are provided. In some embodiments, the composite layers comprise a polymeric material and a plurality of particles.

An electrochemical cell is provided which includes a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte separator, and an anode current collector located on the anode. The anode is a three-dimensional (3D) porous anode including ionically conducting electrolyte strands and pores which extend through the anode from the anode current collector to the electrolyte separator. The anode also includes electronically conducting networks extending on sidewall surfaces of the pores from the anode current collector to the electrolyte separator.

A composite for use as an electrode, the composition comprising a uniformly distributed spontaneously formed segregated network of carbon nanotubes, metallic nanowires or a combination thereof, and a particulate active material, and in which the composite is free of carbon black and has no additional polymeric binder.

A main object of the present disclosure is to provide an all solid state battery wherein interface resistance between a current collector and an active material layer is low. In the present disclosure, the above object is achieved by providing an all solid state battery comprising: an electrode including a current collector, an electron conductive layer, and an active material layer, in this order, and a solid electrolyte layer formed on the active material layer side of the electrode, and the electron conductive layer is an agglutinate of metal particles or a metal foil, and electron conductivity of the electron conductive layer is 1×10.sup.3 S/cm or more at 25° C.

The invention discloses a composite negative active material ball, which includes an electrically conductive metal core, which is substantially without pores, and a plurality of silicon or silicon compound particles, which is distributed on the surface of electrically conductive metal core. Partial volume of the silicon or silicon compound particles are embedded into the electrically conductive metal core. The silicon or silicon compound particles can maintain the well contact of the electrically conductive metal core during alloying/dealloying with lithium. Therefore, the composite negative active material ball have good electrical transfer characteristics.

Disclosed are an anisotropic collector for a lithium-ion battery, and a manufacturing method therefor and an application thereof. The collector is made of a resin material added with spherical metal particles. Conductive particles of the collector in an X-Y direction do not form a sufficient conductive network, but form a good conductive network in a Z direction. While a short circuit occurs, the collector is not easy to activate most of active materials in the X-Y direction so that thermal runaway is not easy to occur, but the collector may fully conduct electricity in the Z direction so that the battery may be normally charged and discharged, thereby improving battery safety.

Lithium secondary batteries for improving life span and resistance properties are disclosed. In an aspect, a cathode composition for a lithium secondary battery includes a cathode active material that includes a first cathode active material particle having a secondary particle shape and a second cathode active material particle having a single particle shape, and a conductive material including a linear-type conductive material.

A cathode includes: a cathode current collector; a cathode active material layer on the cathode current collector and including a first surface, and a second surface opposite the first surface and adjacent to the cathode current collector, wherein the cathode active material layer includes a channel structure including a channel extending in a direction from the first surface to the second surface; and a conductive metal layer disposed on a surface of the channel of the channel structure.

A lithium-sulfur battery cathode including conductive porous carbon particles vacuum infused with sulfur and a conductive collector substrate to which the sulfur infused porous carbon particles are deposited. The sulfur infused carbon particles are encapsulated by an encapsulation polymer, the encapsulation polymer having ionic conductivity, electronic conductivity, polysulfide affinity, or combinations thereof. A lithium-sulfur battery including the lithium-sulfur battery cathode, a lithium anode and an electrolyte disposed between the sulfur cathode and the lithium anode is also provided. Methods of producing the sulfur cathode for use in a lithium-sulfur battery by a hybrid vacuum-and-melt method are also provided.