An electrode includes an electrically conductive porous graphene core; a silicon layer disposed on an internal surface of the porous graphene core; and an ion-conductive hybrid silicate layer disposed on the silicon layer.

Described are processes for making graphene pellet (GP) with a three-dimensional structure. The process includes forming a nickel pellet from nickel powder to function as a catalyst for graphene growth, exposing the nickel pellet to a hydrocarbon under conditions sufficient to grow graphene, and etching nickel from graphene with an acid resulting in a graphene pellet. Also described is a process for making a graphene paper from the graphene pellet comprising applying a compression force to the graphene pellet sufficient to compress the pellet. Also described is a method for forming a graphene pellet composite useful as an electrode.

The present disclosure relates to a patternable process for coating functional and adherent graphene-like carbon on multiple substrate types using CO.sub.2 laser-induced photothermal pyrolysis in scanning mode. The poly furfuryl alcohol (PFA) synthesised via low-temperature polymerisation of furfuryl alcohol precursor without any additives was used to form graphene-like carbon material.

The present invention provides a battery electrode comprising an active battery material enclosed in the pores of a conductive nanoporous scaffold. The pores in the scaffold constrain the dimensions for the active battery material and inhibit sintering, which results in better cycling stability, longer battery lifetime, and greater power through less agglomeration. Additionally, the scaffold forms electrically conducting pathways to the active battery nanoparticles that are dispersed. In some variations, a battery electrode of the invention includes an electrically conductive scaffold material with pores having at least one length dimension selected from about 0.5 nm to about 100 nm, and an oxide material contained within the pores, wherein the oxide material is electrochemically active.

Processes for preparing a niobate material include the following steps: (i) providing a niobium-containing source; (ii) providing a transitional metal source (TMS), a post-transitional metal source (PTMS), or both; (iii) dissolving (a) the niobium-containing source, and (b) the TMS, the PTMS, or both in an aqueous medium to form an intermediate solution; (iv) forming an intermediate paste by admixing an inert support material with the intermediate solution; (v) optionally coating the intermediate paste on a support substrate; and (vi) removing the inert support material by subjecting the intermediate paste to a calcination process and providing a transition-metal-niobate (TMN) and/or a post-transition-metal-niobate (PTMN). Anodes including a TMN and/or PTMN are also provided.

Disclosed is a cathode current collector for an electrical energy storage device and a method for manufacturing the same, which improves adhesion between a current collector and an electrode material and provide a high reaction surface area, thereby improving the performance of the electrical energy storage. In particular, a first alumina film is formed on the surface of an aluminum foil using an anodic oxidation process. Next, the first alumina film formed on a surface of the aluminum foil is removed through etching and a second alumina film is formed on the surface of the aluminum foil, from which the first alumina film is removed, using the anodic oxidation process again. Subsequently, a carbon layer is coated on a surface of the aluminum foil on which the second alumina film is formed.

A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery positive electrode according to an aspect of the present disclosure is provided with a positive electrode collector and a positive electrode mixture layer that is formed on the surface of the positive electrode collector. The positive electrode mixture layer contains a positive electrode active material, fibrous carbon, and nonfibrous carbon. When the positive electrode mixture layer is divided into two equal regions in the thickness direction, and the half of the regions that is on the positive electrode collector side is defined as a first region and the half of the regions that is on the outer surface side is defined as a second region, the mass proportion of the fibrous carbon with respect to the total mass of the fibrous carbon and the nonfibrous carbon in the first region is set to be less than that in the second region.

A lithium-sulfur battery includes a casing, a top lid circumferentially welded to the casing, a negative contact surface positioned opposite the top lid, a positive terminal disposed within the casing, welded to the top lid, and configured as a mandrel, a glass insulator circumferentially wound around the mandrel, and a jelly roll including at least an anode and a cathode wound around the mandrel. The jelly roll may also include a top surface not in contact with the top lid, a bottom surface partially in contact with the negative contact surface, and partially in contact with a plurality of non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles disposed between the bottom surface of the jelly roll and the negative contact surface. At least some of the non-hollow carbonaceous spherical particles may provide one or more electrically-conductive pathways between the bottom surface and the negative contact surface.

A composite current collector includes a support layer and a conductive layer. The support layer has two surfaces opposite to each other along a thickness direction. The conductive layer is provided on the two surfaces and includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion provided on the two surfaces, respectively. The second portion includes a third sub-portion and a fourth sub-portion. The third sub-portion and the first sub-portion are integrally provided. The fourth sub-portion and the second sub-portion are integrally provided. The third sub-portion and the fourth sub-portion both project from the support layer. The third sub-portion and the fourth sub-portion are affixed to each other and fused as a whole.

A film includes a film body including graphite, and at least one fragment including graphite and formed on one or more surfaces of the film body. The film has a water contact angle of 50 degrees or greater and a glossiness of 20 or lower.