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.

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.

An anode for an energy storage device may include a current collector. The current collector may include a metal oxide layer. The metal oxide layer may include a doped oxide or zinc oxide. In addition, the anode may include a continuous porous lithium storage layer overlaying the metal oxide layer. The continuous porous lithium storage layer may include a total content of silicon, germanium, or a combination thereof, of at least 40 atomic %.

A pasting carrier for a lead-acid battery. The pasting carrier includes a nonwoven fiber mat having a thickness between 5 and 50 mils, the nonwoven fiber mat being composed of a plurality of entangled glass microfibers.

A porous electrode for electrochemical cells, methods of making the same and its application are described. The porous electrode is comprised of a porous conductive layer and an insulating layer, whereas the pores inside the conductive layer function as mini-containers for the active metal for rechargeable batteries, and the insulating material covers the top conductive surface of the conductive layer and blocks the sites where active metal dendrite would otherwise preferentially grow. An example of such electrodes is a porous copper foil with top surface coated with polyvinylene difluoride (PVDF). Electrochemical cells containing the invented electrode, such as rechargeable lithium batteries, sodium batteries and aluminum batteries, have good cycle life and safety performance.

An electrode unit (1, 1a, 1b), in particular for a redox flow cell (8), including at least one metallic substrate (2) and a coating (3) which is applied to the substrate (2), wherein the coating (3) includes at least one protective layer (4) which is formed from titanium-niobium nitride (TiNbN) and/or titanium-niobium carbide (TiNbC). A redox flow cell (8), in particular a redox flow battery, having at least one such electrode unit (1, 1a, 1b) is also provided.

To improve design of a lighting device. A lighting device includes optically transparent glass plates provided on side faces and placed on an optical path of light emitted from a light source, where some or all of the optically transparent glass plates contain an optically transparent battery adapted to drive the light source; and an optically transparent glass plate that contains a transparent conductive film by being provided on a bottom face, wherein the optically transparent battery is placed in contact with a pair of transparent conductive film layers, which are connected to the light source. The pair of transparent conductive film layers are formed in a pair of parallel linear grooves formed in a surface of the optically transparent glass plate on the bottom face, and a tabular positive tab and negative tab of the optically transparent battery fit in respective ones of the pair of grooves.

This secondary battery comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator positioned between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte. The positive electrode has a positive electrode current collector, a positive electrode mixture layer containing a positive electrode active material, and an additional layer containing an inactive material. The inactive material is an Li-containing transition metal oxide having a crystal structure belonging to one space group from among Fm3m, C2/M, Immm, and P3m1. The inactive material content of the additional layer is 60 mass % or greater, and the basis weight of the additional layer is 3.8 g/m.sup.2 to 50 g/m.sup.2 (inclusive).

A lithium coating method includes: coating an oxide layer having lithiophilic properties on a metal material by heating the metal material at a certain temperature; and coating a lithium layer on the oxide layer by bringing the metal material coated with the oxide layer into contact with molten lithium.

A battery includes an electrode layer, a counter-electrode layer placed opposite to the electrode layer, and a solid electrolyte layer located between the electrode layer and the counter-electrode layer. The electrode layer includes a collector, an electrode active material layer located between the collector and the solid electrolyte layer, and an insulating layer located between the collector and the electrode active material layer at ends of the electrode layer. The counter-electrode layer has a counter-electrode active material layer placed opposite to the electrode active material layer. The electrode active material layer has a region that does not overlap the insulating layer in plan view. A side surface of the insulating layer and a side surface of the electrode active material layer are flush with each other.