Lithium metal oxides may be regenerated under ambient conditions from materials recovered from partially or fully depleted lithium-ion batteries. Recovered lithium and metal materials may be reduced to nanoparticles and recombined to produce regenerated lithium metal oxides. The regenerated lithium metal oxides may be used to produce rechargeable lithium ion batteries.

A lithium-ion battery having an anode including an array of nanowires electrochemically coated with a polymer electrolyte, and surrounded by a cathode matrix, forming thereby interpenetrating electrodes, wherein the diffusion length of the Li.sup.+ ions is significantly decreased, leading to faster charging/discharging, greater reversibility, and longer battery lifetime, is described. The battery design is applicable to a variety of battery materials. Methods for directly electrodepositing Cu.sub.2Sb from aqueous solutions at room temperature using citric acid as a complexing agent to form an array of nanowires for the anode, are also described. Conformal coating of poly-[Zn(4-vinyl-4′methyl-2,2′-bipyridine).sub.3](PF.sub.6).sub.2 by electroreductive polymerization onto films and high-aspect ratio nanowire arrays for a solid-state electrolyte is also described, as is reductive electropolymerization of a variety of vinyl monomers, such as those containing the acrylate functional group. Such materials display limited electronic conductivity but significant lithium ion conductivity. Cathode materials may include oxides, such as lithium cobalt oxide, lithium magnesium oxide, or lithium tin oxide, as examples, or phosphates, such as LiFePO.sub.4, as an example.

An electrochemical cell includes solid-state, printable anode layer, cathode layer and non-aqueous gel electrolyte layer coupled to the anode layer and cathode layer. The electrolyte layer provides physical separation between the anode layer and the cathode layer, and comprises a composition configured to provide ionic communication between the anode layer and cathode layer by facilitating transmission of multivalent ions between the anode layer and the cathode layer.

An object is to provide a secondary battery having excellent charge-discharge cycle characteristics. A secondary battery including an electrode containing silicon or a silicon compound is provided, in which the electrode is provided with a layer containing silicon or a silicon compound over a layer of a metal material; a mixed layer of the metal material and the silicon is provided between the metal material layer and the layer containing silicon or a silicon compound; the metal material has higher oxygen affinity than that of ions which give and receive electric charges in the secondary battery; and an oxide of the metal material does not have an insulating property. The ions which give and receive electric charges are alkali metal ions or alkaline earth metal ions.

A durable electrode material suitable for use in Li ion batteries is provided. The material is comprised of a continuous network of graphite regions integrated with, and in good electrical contact with a composite comprising graphene sheets and an electrically active material, such as silicon, wherein the electrically active material is dispersed between, and supported by, the graphene sheets.

An electrochemical or electric layer system, having at least two electrode layers and at least one ion-conducting layer disposed between two electrode layers. The ion-conducting layer has at least one ion-conducting solid electrolyte and at least one binder at grain boundaries of the at least one ion-conducting solid electrolyte for improving the ion conductivity over the grain boundaries and the adhesion of the layers.

A method for the formation of lithium includes a layer on a substrate using an atomic layer deposition method. The method includes the sequential pulsing of a lithium precursor through a reaction chamber for deposition upon a substrate. Using further oxidizing pulses and or other metal containing precursor pulses, an electrolyte suitable for use in thin film batteries may be manufactured.

A thin film production apparatus which includes: a substrate feeding mechanism configured to continuously feed a substrate; a substrate receiving mechanism configured to receive the substrate; a substrate conveying mechanism; a film formation roller; a first film formation source configured to form a first thin film on a film formation surface of the substrate traveling on an upstream side of the film formation roller in a substrate conveyance direction along the substrate conveying mechanism; and a second film formation source configured to form a second thin film on a roller circumferential surface of the film formation roller. The film formation roller is placed so that the second thin film is joined to the first thin film. The second thin film is formed to a greater thickness and/or at a higher deposition rate than the first thin film.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a secondary battery wherein an electrode assembly impregnated with an electrolytic solution is embedded in a battery case, wherein interfacial contact properties (i.e. wetting) of the electrode assembly and the electrolytic solution are improved through a process including: (a) impregnating an electrode assembly having a separator interposed between a cathode and an anode with an electrolytic solution; and (b) applying vibration having a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz to an electrolytic solution with which the electrode assembly is impregnated. A secondary battery manufactured according to the method may have improved ionic conductivity, electronic conductivity and the like and, as such, may have improved electrochemical performance.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a secondary battery, built in a battery case, having an electrode assembly impregnated with an electrolyte solution, the method including: (a) injecting an electrolyte solution as a target into a chamber equipped with a vibrating probe; (b) impregnating by soaking an electrode assembly, which has a separator interposed between a cathode and an anode, in an electrolyte solution contained in the chamber; (c) applying vibration at a frequency of 20 to 100 kHz of to the electrolyte solution with the vibrating probe; and (d) moving the electrode assembly with the electrolyte solution into a battery case, whereby interfacial wetting of the electrode assembly and the electrolyte solution is improved. A secondary battery manufactured according to the method may have improved electrolyte solution impregnation properties, ionic conductivity, electronic conductivity and the like and, as such, may have improved electrochemical performance.