An electrode assembly, a rechargeable battery comprising the same, and a method for manufacturing the rechargeable battery are provided. The electrode assembly comprises an electrode stack in which a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of separators are alternately combined. The electrode assembly also comprises an electrode tab part including a plurality of electrode tabs respectively connected to the plurality of electrodes to extend from a side surface of the electrode stack. The electrode tab part comprises an inclined portion provided on a first side thereof and a tab collection portion provided on a second side thereof, the inclined portion extends from the side surface of the electrode stack and bent in a direction, in which the plurality of electrode tabs are collected, and the tab collection portion extends from the inclined portion and has a shape in which the plurality of electrode tabs are joined.

The present invention provides an aqueous electrolyte for use in rechargeable zinc-halide storage batteries that possesses improved stability and durability and improves zinc-halide battery performance. One aspect of the present invention provides an electrolyte for use in a secondary zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprising from about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % of ZnBr.sub.2 by weight of the electrolyte; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KBr; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KCl; and one or more quaternary ammonium agents, wherein the electrolyte comprises from about 0.5 wt % to about 10 wt % of the one or more quaternary ammonium agents.

The present invention provides an aqueous electrolyte for use in rechargeable zinc-halide storage batteries that possesses improved stability and durability and improves zinc-halide battery performance. One aspect of the present invention provides an electrolyte for use in a secondary zinc bromine electrochemical cell comprising from about 30 wt % to about 40 wt % of ZnBr.sub.2 by weight of the electrolyte; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KBr; from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of KCl; and one or more quaternary ammonium agents, wherein the electrolyte comprises from about 0.5 wt % to about 10 wt % of the one or more quaternary ammonium agents.

A rechargeable battery cell has an organic-liquid electrolyte contacting a dendrite free alkali-metal anode. The alkali-metal anode may be a liquid at the operating temperature that is immobilized by absorption into a porous membrane. The alkali-metal anode may be a solid that wets a porous-membrane separator, where the contact between the solid alkali-metal anode and the liquid electrolyte is at micropores or nanopores in the porous-membrane separator. The use of a dendrite-free solid lithium cell was demonstrated in a symmetric cell with a porous cellulose-based separator membrane. A K.sup.+-ion rechargeable cell was demonstrated with a liquid KNa alloy anode immobilized in a porous carbon membrane using an organic-liquid electrolyte with a Celgard or glass-fiber separator.

A rechargeable battery cell has an organic-liquid electrolyte contacting a dendrite free alkali-metal anode. The alkali-metal anode may be a liquid at the operating temperature that is immobilized by absorption into a porous membrane. The alkali-metal anode may be a solid that wets a porous-membrane separator, where the contact between the solid alkali-metal anode and the liquid electrolyte is at micropores or nanopores in the porous-membrane separator. The use of a dendrite-free solid lithium cell was demonstrated in a symmetric cell with a porous cellulose-based separator membrane. A K.sup.+-ion rechargeable cell was demonstrated with a liquid KNa alloy anode immobilized in a porous carbon membrane using an organic-liquid electrolyte with a Celgard or glass-fiber separator.

To improve the adhesion between an electrode material mixture and a solid electrolyte, and thereby suppress electrodeposition of lithium. This electrode includes a planar electrode current collector including a metal porous body, an electrode material mixture layer that fills pores of the metal porous body, and a solid electrolyte layer that fills pores of the metal porous body. The electrode material mixture layer is formed on one side of the electrode current collector, and the solid electrolyte layer is formed on the other side of the electrode current collector. The electrode material mixture layer and the solid electrolyte layer are stacked in a planar shape in the pores of the metal porous body.

A non-aqueous electrolytic solution battery is provided and including a positive electrode containing a positive electrode mixture containing manganese dioxide, a negative electrode containing a lithium element, and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, in which in an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectrum of the positive electrode mixture, a peak intensity ratio I.sub.2/I.sub.1 of Mn2p.sub.3/2 satisfies a following formula (1)

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}0.3?\frac{I_2}{I_1}?0.55& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

in the formula (1), I.sub.1 represents a peak intensity at a binding energy of 642 eV, and I.sub.2 represents a peak intensity at a binding energy of 640 eV.

A non-aqueous electrolytic solution battery is provided and including a positive electrode containing a positive electrode mixture containing manganese dioxide, a negative electrode containing a lithium element, and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, in which in an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectrum of the positive electrode mixture, a peak intensity ratio I.sub.2/I.sub.1 of Mn2p.sub.3/2 satisfies a following formula (1)

[00001]$\begin{array}{cc}0.3?\frac{I_2}{I_1}?0.55& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

in the formula (1), I.sub.1 represents a peak intensity at a binding energy of 642 eV, and I.sub.2 represents a peak intensity at a binding energy of 640 eV.

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.

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.