Briefly, a sensor for a continuous biological monitor is provided for measuring the level of a target analyte for a patient. The sensor has a working wire and a reference wire, where the working wire has an analyte limiting layer that passes more than 1 in 1000 analyte molecules from the patient to the an enzyme layer. The enzyme layer has an enzyme entrapped in a polyurethane cross-linked with acrylic polyol. As free electrons are generated, a conductor transfers the electrons to the biological monitor. In some cases, the sensor may be constructed without the use of any expensive platinum.

Systems and methods are provided for high volume roll-to-roll direct coating of electrodes for silicon-dominant anode cells and may include applying a slurry to a current collector film, the slurry comprising silicon particles and a binder material; drying the slurry to form a precursor composite film; rolling the current collector film into a precursor composite roll; and applying a heat treatment to the precursor composite film and the current collector film in a nitrogen gas environment, wherein the heat treatment is configured for converting the precursor composite film to a pyrolyzed composite film. The heat treatment may include one or both of: applying the heat treatment to a roll comprising the precursor composite roll in whole; and applying the heat treatment to the current collector film as it is continuously fed from the precursor composite roll.

Electrically-conductive articles are provided that include a current collector having a conductive coating. The current collector has nanoporous structure, such as that from etched metal, and a carbon coating in contact with the current collector. The carbon coating is free of binder. In some embodiments, the current collector includes etched aluminum. The provided electrically-conductive articles can be electrochemical capacitors or lithium-ion electrochemical cells.

A battery and a method of constructing a battery are disclosed in which a first conductive substrate portion has a first face and a second conductive substrate portion has a second face opposed to the first face. A first electrode material is disposed in electrical contact with the first face, an electrolyte material is disposed in contact with the first electrode material, a second electrode material is disposed in contact with the electrolyte material, and a conductive tab disposed in contact with the second electrode material. The first conductive substrate portion, the first electrode material, and the conductive tab extend outward beyond a particular edge of the second conductive substrate portion.

Various methods and apparatus relating to three-dimensional battery structures and methods of manufacturing them are disclosed and claimed. In certain embodiments, a three-dimensional battery comprises a battery enclosure, and a first structural layer within the battery enclosure, where the first structural layer has a first surface, and a first plurality of conductive protrusions extend from the first surface. A first plurality of electrodes is located within the battery enclosure, where the first plurality of electrodes includes a plurality of cathodes and a plurality of anodes, and wherein the first plurality of electrodes includes a second plurality of electrodes selected from the first plurality of electrodes, each of the second plurality of electrodes being in contact with the outer surface of one of said first plurality of conductive protrusions. Some embodiments relate to processes of manufacturing energy storage devices with or without the use of a backbone structure or layer.

Systems and methods are provided for high volume roll-to-roll direct coating of electrodes for silicon-dominant anode cells. A slurry that includes silicon particles and a binder material may be applied to a current collector film, and the slurry may be processed to form a precursor composite film coated on the current collector film. The current collector film with the coated precursor composite film may be rolled into a precursor composite roll. A heat treatment may be applied to the current collector film with the coated precursor composite film in an environment including nitrogen gas, to convert the coated precursor composite film to a pyrolyzed composite film coated on the current collector film. The heat treatment may include applying the heat treatment to the precursor composite roll in whole and/or applying the heat treatment to the current collector film with the coated precursor composite film as it is continuously fed.

When a layered rock-salt type cathode active material and a sulfide solid electrolyte are mixed to be a cathode mixture, and an all solid-state battery is obtained using this mixture, oxygen is released from the cathode active material when the battery is charged, and the sulfide solid electrolyte is oxidized, increasing the battery internal resistance. To increase the concentration of cobalt inside the active material, and at the same time to lower the concentration of cobalt of the surface of the cathode active material, to suppress oxygen release in charging, specifically, a cathode mixture includes: a cathode active material; and a sulfide solid electrolyte, wherein the cathode active material has a layered rock-salt crystal phase, and is made of a composite oxide containing Li, Ni, Co, and Mn, and the concentration of cobalt inside the cathode active material is higher than that of a surface of the cathode active material.

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 positive-electrode material for a lithium secondary battery is provided. The material includes a lithium oxide compound or a complex oxide as reactive substance. The material also includes at least one type of carbon material, and optionally a binder. A first type of carbon material is provided as a coating on the reactive substance particles surface. A second type of carbon material is carbon black. And a third type of carbon material is a fibrous carbon material provided as a mixture of at least two types of fibrous carbon material different in fiber diameter and/or fiber length. Also, a method for preparing the material as well as lithium secondary batteries including the material is provided.

The present invention provides a solid-state battery with high energy density and excellent cycle property, and a production method therefor. The production method for this solid-state battery, which contains a positive electrode, a solid electrolyte, and a negative electrode, comprises the steps of: preparing a negative electrode that is free of a negative-electrode active material; and forming, on at least one surface of the negative electrode, a solid electrolyte interface layer including a lithium-containing organic compound and a lithium-containing inorganic compound by immersing the negative electrode in a layer forming solution containing a lithium salt and a precursor and thereafter causing a reduction reaction on the surface of the negative electrode.