The electrical resistance of active cathodic and anodic films may be significantly reduced by the addition of small fractions of conductive additives within a battery system. The decrease in resistance in the cathode and/or anode leads to easier electron transport through the battery, resulting in increases in power, capacity and rates while decreasing joules heating losses.

A method of forming a sulfur-based cathode material includes: 1) providing a sulfur-based nanostructure; 2) coating the nanostructure with an encapsulating material to form a shell surrounding the nanostructure; and 3) removing a portion of the nanostructure through the shell to form a void within the shell, with a remaining portion of the nanostructure disposed within the shell.

According to an aspect of the present invention, provided is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode active material layer which is formed on the positive electrode current collector except for an exposed part of the positive electrode current collector, and an inorganic filler layer formed at a boundary part between the exposed part of the positive electrode current collector and the positive electrode active material layer. A stacking part in which the inorganic filler layer is overlaid with the positive electrode active material layer is formed at the boundary part, and an end surface of the positive electrode active material layer closer to the boundary part is covered with the inorganic filler layer.

A negative electrode for an alkaline storage battery that achieves both an improvement in cycle life and an improvement in low temperature discharge characteristics, and an alkaline storage battery including the negative electrode are disclosed. The negative electrode for an alkaline storage battery includes a negative electrode core body formed of metal, and a negative electrode mixture layer which contains at least a hydrogen storage alloy and yttrium fluoride, and is carried on the negative electrode core body. Particles of the yttrium fluoride are formed so that the average particle size thereof is equal to 1 μm or more and 7 μm or less.

An anode for an energy storage device includes a current collector. The current collector includes: i) an electrically conductive substrate including a first electrically conductive material; ii) a plurality of electrically conductive structures in electrical communication with the electrically conductive substrate, wherein each electrically conductive structure includes a second electrically conductive material; and iii) a metal oxide coating. The metal oxide coating includes one or both of: a) a first metal oxide material in contact with the electrically conductive substrate; or b) a second metal oxide material in contact with the electrically conductive structures; or both (a) and (b). The anode further includes lithium storage coating overlaying the metal oxide coating, the lithium storage layer including a total content of silicon, germanium, or a combination thereof, of at least 40 atomic %. The electrically conductive structures are at least partially embedded within the lithium storage coating.

An electrochemical cell is provided, which includes a cathode comprising a three dimensional (3D) porous cathode structure, an anode, an electrolyte separator, comprised of a ceramic material, located between the cathode and the anode, and a cathode current collector, wherein the cathode is located between the cathode current collector and the electrolyte separator. The 3D porous cathode structure includes ionically conducting electrolyte strands extending through the cathode from the cathode current collector to the electrolyte separator, pores extending through the cathode from the cathode current collector to the electrolyte separator, and an electronically conducting network extending on sidewall surfaces of the pores from the cathode current collector to the electrolyte separator.

A current collector is disclosed and comprises a conductive material and an elemental metal of a group 6 metal contacting the conductive material. Also disclosed are an electrochemical cell comprising a current collector, a cathode adjacent to the current collector, and an alkali metal-based electrolyte between the current collector and the cathode, with the cathode separated from the group 6 metal by the alkali metal-based electrolyte. A method of operating the electrochemical cell is also disclosed.

An electrode structure for a secondary battery includes a current collector, a first active material layer formed on at least one surface of the current collector, a second active material layer on the first active material layer, and a conductive intermediate layer interposed between the first active material layer and the second active material layer. The conductive intermediate layer has a resistance lower than each resistance of the first active material layer and the second active material layer. A lithium secondary battery including the electrode structure is provided.

A secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator. The surface of the positive electrode, the negative electrode or the separator is provided with a protective layer that contains a resin component and inorganic particles that are formed of a metal compound. The inorganic particles contain at least one of 0.001-2% by mass of an alkali metal and 0.1-4% by mass of an alkaline earth metal.

An electrically conductive hybrid membrane, including a solid membrane substrate including a curable material; and electrically conductive particle disposed on the solid membrane substrate, wherein the solid membrane substrate has an elastic modulus of about 10 MPa to about 1000 MPa, and the electrically conductive particle is exposed on both sides of the solid membrane substrate.