A single-electrode battery subassembly includes a separator comprising an electrolyte. The separator has a first surface and an opposing second surface. A single electrode is disposed over the first surface of the separator. A removable, electrically inert substrate disposed on the second surface of the separator.

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 method of fabricating and using a zinc negative electrode and systems thereof are described. A zinc electroplated electrode including a layer of zinc metal bonded to a surface of an electrically conductive current collector is fabricated by an electroplating process using a zinc electroplating system. The zinc electroplating system includes: a zinc metal anode, a cathode including the current collector for plating zinc thereon, and an electrolyte bath comprising zinc ions. The electroplating process bonds the zinc metal to the surface of the current collector to create the electroplated zinc electrode. The electroplated zinc electrode is used as a negative electrode in a zinc metal cell. The zinc metal cell may be a primary cell or a secondary cell.

An electrolyte for use in an energy storage device, an energy storage device and a method of forming such electrolyte. The electrolyte includes a polymer matrix of at least two crosslinked structures, including a first polymeric material and a second polymeric material; and an electrolytic solution retained by the polymer matrix; wherein the electrolyte is arranged to physically deform when subjected to an external mechanical load applied to the polymer matrix.

A metal-air cell comprises a negative electrode, a negative electrode case housing the negative electrode, sealed while a lead of the negative electrode extends from the negative electrode case, including a separator that forms at least part of the negative electrode case, an air electrode facing the negative electrode across the separator, and a cell case housing the negative electrode case and the air electrode and sealed while the lead of the negative electrode expands from the cell case and a lead of the air electrode expands from the cell case.

A metal-air cell comprises a negative electrode, a negative electrode case housing the negative electrode, sealed while a lead of the negative electrode extends from the negative electrode case, including a separator that forms at least part of the negative electrode case, an air electrode facing the negative electrode across the separator, and a cell case housing the negative electrode case and the air electrode and sealed while the lead of the negative electrode expands from the cell case and a lead of the air electrode expands from the cell case.

A flow-through redox galvanic cell and a battery is described, where each flow-through galvanic cell is separated into two parts by a metal foil serving as a bi-electrode in contact with two solutions having different redox potentials. Voltage due to redox processes is formed through the foil, and two traditional electrodes (cathode and anode) in each cell are not necessary anymore. The cells in a battery should be in electric contact with each other via ion-selective membranes. The battery is easy to recharge, and it is smaller, lighter, safer and cheaper than known redox-flow batteries. It may be used as a reserve source of energy in electric grids and households. It also may be used in electric cars, and it is especially attractive for use near the seashore and on sea ships.

A flow-through redox galvanic cell and a battery is described, where each flow-through galvanic cell is separated into two parts by a metal foil serving as a bi-electrode in contact with two solutions having different redox potentials. Voltage due to redox processes is formed through the foil, and two traditional electrodes (cathode and anode) in each cell are not necessary anymore. The cells in a battery should be in electric contact with each other via ion-selective membranes. The battery is easy to recharge, and it is smaller, lighter, safer and cheaper than known redox-flow batteries. It may be used as a reserve source of energy in electric grids and households. It also may be used in electric cars, and it is especially attractive for use near the seashore and on sea ships.

The invention relates to electrochemical current sources, more particularly to metal-air current sources, and even more particularly to lithium-air current sources and their electrodes. A cathode comprises a base made of a porous electrically conducting material that is permeable to molecular oxygen, the working surface of which has a copolymer applied thereto, which is produced by the copolymerization of a monomeric transition metal coordination complex having a Schiff base and a thiophene group monomer. The monomeric transition metal coordination complex having a Schiff base can be, for example, a compound of the [M(R,R-Salen)], [M(R,R-Saltmen)] or [M(R,R-Salphen)] type, and the thiophene group monomer can be a compound selected from a thiophene group consisting of 3-alkylthiophenes, 3,4-dialkylthiophenes, 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene or combinations thereof. A current source comprises the described cathode and an anode made from an active metal, in particular lithium, wherein the cathode and the anode are separated by an electrolyte containing ions of the metal from which the anode is made. It has been established that in this system, the copolymer exhibits the properties of an effective catalyst. The technical result is an increase in the specific energy, specific power and number of charge and discharge cycles of a metal-air current source.

Provided is an electrochemical device including a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a separator disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode. In the electrochemical device, the negative electrode is an electrode containing magnesium, and is in contact with a fullerene analogue-containing layer containing a fullerene analogue. The electrolytic solution of the electrochemical device includes a solvent and a magnesium salt contained in the solvent.