A secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolytic solution. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material layer. The positive electrode active material layer includes a lithium-nickel composite oxide of a layered rock-salt type.

An integrated energy storage component that includes a substrate supporting a contoured layer having a region with a contoured surface such as elongated pores. A stack structure is provided conformally over the contoured surface of this region. The stack is a single or repeated instance of MOIM layers, or MIOM layers, the M layers being metal layers, or a quasi-metal such as TiN, the O layers being oxide layers containing ions, and the I layer being an ionic dielectric. The regions having a contoured surface may be formed of porous anodized alumina.

An integrated energy storage component that includes a substrate supporting a contoured layer having a region with a contoured surface such as elongated pores. A stack structure is provided conformally over the contoured surface of this region. The stack is a single or repeated instance of MOIM layers, or MIOM layers, the M layers being metal layers, or a quasi-metal such as TiN, the O layers being oxide layers containing ions, and the I layer being an ionic dielectric. The regions having a contoured surface may be formed of porous anodized alumina.

A doping system is configured to dope an active material included in an electrode with an alkali metal. The doping system includes a doping bath, a conveyor unit, a connection unit, and a drying unit. The doping bath is configured to store a solution containing alkali metal ion and a counter electrode unit. The conveyor unit is configured to convey the electrode along a path that passes through the doping bath. The connection unit includes an electrically conductive electric power supply roller that contacts the electrode, and is configured to couple the electrode to the counter electrode unit. The drying unit is configured to spray a gas onto the electrode that passes through the doping bath and is being conveyed to the electric power supply roller.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing an electrode comprising a metal substrate, vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and a metal oxide deposited over the entire length of said vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, said method comprising the following consecutive steps: (a) synthesizing, on a metal substrate, a mat of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes; (b) electrochemically depositing the metal oxide on said carbon nanotubes from an electrolytic solution comprising at least one precursor of said metal oxide and at least one nitrate, said electrochemical deposition being carried out by a chronopotentiometry technique. The present invention also relates to the electrode thus prepared and to the uses thereof.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing an electrode comprising a metal substrate, vertically aligned carbon nanotubes and a metal oxide deposited over the entire length of said vertically aligned carbon nanotubes, said method comprising the following consecutive steps: (a) synthesizing, on a metal substrate, a mat of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes; (b) electrochemically depositing the metal oxide on said carbon nanotubes from an electrolytic solution comprising at least one precursor of said metal oxide and at least one nitrate, said electrochemical deposition being carried out by a chronopotentiometry technique. The present invention also relates to the electrode thus prepared and to the uses thereof.

Composites comprising an exfoliated graphite support material having a degree of graphitization g in an range of 50 to 93%, obtained by XRD Rietveld analysis, which is coated with ZnO nanoparticles. These composites are produced by three different methods: A) (syn) the method comprises the following consecutive steps: i) a Zn(II)salt is dissolved in a solvent ii) graphite and a base are added simultaneously iii) the mixture is stirred under impact of ultrasound iv) the solvent is removed from the suspension or B) (pre) the method comprises the following consecutive steps: i) graphite is suspended in a solvent and exfoliated via impact of ultrasound ii) a Zn(II)salt and a base are added simultaneously forming nano-ZnO particles iii) the mixture is stirred iv) the solvent is removed from the suspension or C) (post) the method comprises the following steps: i) a Zn(II)salt and a base are mixed in a solvent in a first reactor forming nano-ZnO particles ii) graphite is exfoliated via impact of ultrasound in a second reactor iii) both suspensions of i) and ii) are mixed together iv) after step iii) the solvent is removed from the suspension. These coated composites may be tempered in a further step and again coated and again tempered.

A mesoporous, nanocrystalline, metal oxide construct particularly suited for capacitive energy storage that has an architecture with short diffusion path lengths and large surface areas and a method for production are provided. Energy density is substantially increased without compromising the capacitive charge storage kinetics and electrode demonstrates long term cycling stability. Charge storage devices with electrodes using the construct can use three different charge storage mechanisms immersed in an electrolyte: (1) cations can be stored in a thin double layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface (non-faradaic mechanism); (2) cations can interact with the bulk of an electroactive material which then undergoes a redox reaction or phase change, as in conventional batteries (faradaic mechanism); or (3) cations can electrochemically adsorb onto the surface of a material through charge transfer processes (faradaic mechanism).

A mesoporous, nanocrystalline, metal oxide construct particularly suited for capacitive energy storage that has an architecture with short diffusion path lengths and large surface areas and a method for production are provided. Energy density is substantially increased without compromising the capacitive charge storage kinetics and electrode demonstrates long term cycling stability. Charge storage devices with electrodes using the construct can use three different charge storage mechanisms immersed in an electrolyte: (1) cations can be stored in a thin double layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface (non-faradaic mechanism); (2) cations can interact with the bulk of an electroactive material which then undergoes a redox reaction or phase change, as in conventional batteries (faradaic mechanism); or (3) cations can electrochemically adsorb onto the surface of a material through charge transfer processes (faradaic mechanism).

A method for preparing a niobium, titanium or vanadium metal oxide nanostructured material is provided. The method comprises providing an aqueous reagent comprising (i) a soluble metal oxalate, and/or (ii) oxalic acid and a metal oxide precursor, adding a buffering agent to the aqueous reagent to form a mixture, and heating the mixture under hydrothermal conditions to obtain the metal oxide nanostructured material. The metal oxide nanostructured material may also be doped with a dopant metal such as titanium to enhance capacity and cycling stability. An electrode comprising the metal oxide nanostructured material, and an electrochemical cell containing the electrode are also provided.