A porous solid compound having high porosity is prepared by controlling the reaction conditions of a compound containing a cyano group and a halogenated metal compound. The porous solid compound includes one or more heterocycles formed by alternately bonding triazine and phenyl or biphenyl wherein the pore volume of the porous solid compound is 5 cm.sup.3/g or more.

Provided is an anode particulate, having a dimension from 10 nm to 300 m, for use in an alkali metal battery, the particulate comprising (i) an anode active material capable of reversibly absorbing/desorbing lithium or sodium ions, (ii) an electron-conducting material, and (iii) a lithium or sodium salt with an optional polymer or its monomer, but without a liquid solvent, for an electrolyte, wherein the electron-conducting material forms a 3D network of electron-conducting pathways in electronic contact with the anode active material and the lithium or sodium salt is in physical contact with the anode active material (so that the salt, when later impregnated with a liquid solvent, becomes an electrolyte forming a 3D network of lithium or sodium ion-conducting channels in ionic contact with the anode active material). The particulate can be of any shape, but preferably spherical or ellipsoidal in shape. Also provided is a cathode particulate.

The present invention relates to an oligomer-based organic battery materials, cathode active material, cathode and secondary battery comprising such material, and a process for preparing such materials.

The present invention generally relates to compositions and methods for the preparation of conductive polymer coatings, and methods for application of the coatings to three-dimensional substrates.

A solid electrolyte for a negative electrode of a secondary battery includes a first porous solid electrolyte having a first surface; a first coating on the first surface of the first porous solid electrolyte; an adhesive electrolyte layer on the first porous solid electrolyte; and a second porous solid electrolyte on the adhesive electrolyte layer, the second porous solid electrolyte having a second surface; wherein the first porous solid electrolyte and the second porous solid electrolyte each have an ionic conductivity effective for a deposition metal; and wherein a surface of the first coating is less favorable for deposition of the deposition metal than the second surface of the second solid electrolyte. An electrode assembly and an electrochemical cell including the solid electrolyte and method for the manufacture thereof are also described.

Sulfur composites and polymeric materials having a high sulfur content and prepared from elemental sulfur as the primary chemical feedstock. The sulfur copolymers are prepared by the polymerization of elemental sulfur with one or more monomers of amines, thiols, sulfides, alkynylly unsaturated monomers, nitrones, aldehydes, ketones, thiiranes, ethylenically unsaturated monomers, or epoxides. The sulfur copolymers may be further dispersed with metal or ceramic composites or copolymerized with elemental carbon, photoactive organic chromophores, or reactive and solubilising/biocompatible moieties. The sulfur composites and polymeric materials feature the ability self-healing through thermal reformation. Applications utilizing the sulfur composites and polymeric materials may include electrochemical cells, optics, H.sub.2S donors and antimicrobial materials.

Disclosed is an electrode active material that has a large charge discharge capacity, a high initial efficiency, as well as excellent cycle characteristics and rate characteristics and is favorably used in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. An organo sulfur-based electrode active material contains sodium and potassium in a total amount of 100 ppm by mass to 1000 ppm by mass; an electrode for use in a secondary battery, the electrode containing the organo sulfur-based electrode active material as an electrode active material; and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including the electrode. Preferably, the organo sulfur-based electrode active material further contains iron in an amount of 1 ppm by mass to 20 ppm by mass. Preferably, the organo sulfur-based electrode active material is sulfur-modified polyacrylonitrile, and the amount of sulfur in the organo sulfur-based electrode active material is 25 mass % to 60 mass %.

A polymer material for a lithium secondary battery having ionic conductivity and electronic conductivity at the same time, and a method for preparing the same. The polymer material includes a polythiophene-based polymer and a conductive polymer, and the polymer material may be formed by forming a polythiophene-based polymer, forming a conductive polymer, and heat-treating the polythiophene-based polymer and the conductive polymer.

Redox active polycyclic compounds and related electrode material, electrode chemical cell battery, methods and systems are described. In particular, tricyclic compounds having a redox potential of 0.20 V to 2.0 V with reference to Zn/Zn2+ electrode potential under standard conditions are described. More particularly, redox active monomers, dimers, and polymers in which each monomeric unit contains a tricyclic heterocyclic structure are provided as electrode material of a cathode for an electrochemical cell further containing a zinc anode and an aqueous electrolyte.

The disclosed technology relates generally to apparatus comprising conductive polymers and more particularly to tag and tag devices comprising a redox-active polymer film, and method of using and manufacturing the same. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a substrate and a conductive structure formed on the substrate which includes a layer of redox-active polymer film having mobile ions and electrons. The conductive structure further includes a first terminal and a second terminal configured to receive an electrical signal therebetween, where the layer of redox-active polymer is configured to conduct an electrical current generated by the mobile ions and the electrons in response to the electrical signal. The apparatus additionally includes a detection circuit operatively coupled to the conductive structure and configured to detect the electrical current flowing through the conductive structure.