A positive electrode active material for an electrochemical device has a fiber shape or a grain-aggregate shape. The positive electrode active material includes an inner core part having a fiber shape or a grain-aggregate shape, and a superficial part covering at least part of the inner core part. The inner core part contains a first conductive polymer, and the superficial part contains a second conductive polymer that is different from the first conductive polymer.

The present invention provides a high-performance lithium-containing organic sulfur electrode material and a preparation method of an integrated flexible electrode. According to the present invention, 1,3-diisopropenyl benzene with diene bonds and Li2S6 are used as precursors to react to generate the lithium-containing organic sulfide Poly (Li2S6-r-DIB) through an in-situ polymerization method. The synthesized lithium-containing organic sulfide Poly (Li2S6-r-DIB) can be directly attached to a flexible conductive carbon cloth to prepare the integrated flexible electrode due to its good viscosity when heated to a certain temperature. The obtained flexible electrode has the advantages of high capacity, high flexibility, stable structure and the like.

The present application discloses a composite graphite material and a method for preparing the same, a secondary battery, and an apparatus. The composite graphite material includes a core material and a coating layer that coats at least a portion of the surface of the core material, the core material including graphite, and the coating layer including a coating material containing a cyclic structure moiety, wherein the composite graphite material has a weight-loss rate of from 0.1% to 0.55% when the composite graphite material is heated in an atmosphere of an inert non-oxidative gas at a temperature rising from 40° C. to 800° C. The composite graphite material can enhance the gram capability and reduce the expansion rate of an electrode plate, and more preferably, can improve the cycle performance and kinetic performance of a battery as well.

A secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution. The negative electrode includes a Si-based negative electrode active material and a negative electrode binder. The Si-based negative electrode active material includes an active material core and a covering material. The active material core includes a Si-containing compound. The covering material covers at least a portion of a surface of the active material core. The covering material has an elastic modulus lower than an elastic modulus of the negative electrode binder. The covering material has an elongation at break of 100% or higher, and has a recovery of 70% or higher after being stretched to an elongation at break of 100%.

An electrochemical cell for a secondary battery, preferably for use in an electric vehicle, is provided. The cell includes a solid metallic anode, which is deposited over a suitable current collector substrate during the cell charging process. Several variations of compatible electrolyte are disclosed, along with suitable cathode materials for building the complete cell.

An electrochemical device includes a positive electrode having a positive electrode material layer containing a conductive polymer doped with a first anion and a second anion, a negative electrode having a negative electrode material layer storing and releasing lithium ions, and a nonaqueous electrolytic solution having lithium ionic conductivity. The second anion is more easily dedoped from the conductive polymer than the first anion. At an end period of charge of the electrochemical device, a number of moles M1 of the first anion and a number of moles M2 of the second anion respectively doped in the conductive polymer satisfy a relationship of M1<M2. At an end period of discharge of the electrochemical device, a number of moles M3 of the first anion and a number of moles M4 of the second anion respectively doped in the conductive polymer satisfy a relationship of M3>M4.

A method for generating electrical energy includes providing an electrical energy generating element. The electrical energy generating element includes a first porous electrode, an eggshell membrane, and a second porous electrode stacked on each other in that order. The electrical energy generating element has a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. A liquid having positive ions and negative ions is allowed to penetrate the electrical energy generating element from the first side to the second side.

A lithium secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, an elastic polymer protective layer disposed between the cathode and the anode, and a working electrolyte in ionic communication with the anode and the cathode, wherein the protective layer comprises a high-elasticity polymer having a thickness from 2 nm to 200 μm, a lithium ion conductivity of at least 10.sup.−8 S/cm at room temperature, and a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain of at least 5% and wherein the high-elasticity polymer comprises a polymer derived from a monomer selected from the group consisting of phosphates, phosphonates, phosphonic acids, phosphorous acids, phosphites, phosphoric acids, combinations thereof, and combination thereof with phosphazenes and wherein the high-elasticity polymer is impregnated with from 0% to 90% by weight of a lithium salt, a non-aqueous liquid solvent, or a liquid electrolyte comprising a lithium salt dissolved in a non-aqueous liquid solvent.

A rechargeable lithium battery comprising an anode, a cathode, a lithium-ion permeable and electrically insulating separator, and a solid-state lithium ion-transporting medium, wherein the lithium ion-transporting medium and particles of a cathode active material are combined to form a cathode active material composite layer optionally supported by a cathode current collector; wherein the cathode active material occupies at least 75% (preferably from 80% to 95%) by weight or by volume of the cathode composite layer (not counting the cathode current collector weight or volume); the first lithium ion-transporting medium comprises a material selected from graphite, graphene, carbon, a sulfonated conducting polymer, a phthalocyanine compound, an organic or organometallic cathode active material, or a combination thereof; and the first medium constitutes a 3D network of both lithium ion-conducting paths and electron-conducting paths in the cathode.

This application relates to nanostructured materials, such as nanoparticles, comprising anion-functionalized conductive polymers and methods of making same. The nanostructures may be used as electrode materials for secondary batteries or other energy storage devices.