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.

The present invention provides an anode active material and a method for preparing the same, wherein the anode active material has a core-shell structure having formula (MOx-Liy)-C (here, M is a metal (or metalloid), x is greater than 0 and less than 1.5, and y is greater than 0 and less than 4) and including a core part containing an alloy of a metal (or metalloid) oxide-Li (MOx-Liy) and a shell part containing a carbon material coated on a surface of the core part, wherein the shell part contains lithium in an amount less than 5 atm % in the surface and the inner portion thereof. The anode active material can provide high capacity, excellent cycle characteristics, excellent volume expansion control capability, and high initial efficiency.

Provided is a method for producing a composite alloy for use in an electrode for an alkaline storage battery, including a powder preparation step of preparing a hydrogen storage alloy powder containing Ti and Cr and having a BCC structure, an etching step of applying an acid to the hydrogen storage alloy powder prepared in the powder preparation step, a Pd film forming step of coating the surface of the hydrogen storage alloy powder subjected to the etching step with Pd using a substitution plating method, and a heat treatment step of heating the hydrogen storage alloy powder having a Pd film formed, at said heating being a temperature of 500° C. or less, wherein in the Pd coating forming step, the hydrogen storage alloy powder is coated with Pd under the condition that the Pd element weight ratio of the composite alloy to be produced is 0.47% or more.

Preparation, characterization, and an electrochemical study of Mg.sub.0.1V.sub.2O.sub.5 prepared by a novel sol-gel method with no high-temperature post-processing are disclosed. Cyclic voltammetry showed the material to be quasi-reversible, with improved kinetics in an acetonitrile-, relative to a carbonate-, based electrolyte. Galvanostatic test data under a C/10 discharge showed a delivered capacity >250 mAh/g over several cycles. Based on these results, a magnesium anode battery, as disclosed, would yield an average operating voltage ˜3.2 Volts with an energy density ˜800 mWh/g for the cathode material, making the newly synthesized material a viable cathode material for secondary magnesium batteries.

Methods, systems, and compositions for the solution-phase deposition of thin films comprising one or more artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers. The thin films can be coated onto the surface of porous components of electrochemical devices, such as solid-state electrolytes employed in rechargeable batteries. The methods and systems provided herein involve exposing the component to be coated to different liquid reagents in sequential processing steps, with optional intervening rinsing and drying steps. Processing may occur in a single reaction chamber or multiple reaction chambers.

A method for forming a prelithiated, layered anode material includes contacting an ionic compound and a lithium precursor in an environment having a temperature ranging from about 200° C. to about 900° C. The ionic compound is a three-dimensional layered material represented by MX.sub.2, where M is one of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and X is one of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and boron (B). The lithium precursor is selected from the group consisting of: LiH, LiC, LiOH, LiCl, and combinations thereof. The contacting of the ionic compound and the lithium precursor in the environment causes removal of cations from the ionic compound to create openings in interlayer spaces or voids in the three-dimensional layered material thereby defining a two-dimensional layered material and also causes introduction of lithium ions from the lithium precursor into the interlayer spaces or voids to form the prelithiated, layered anode material.

Various methods and techniques for enhancing a silicon-containing anode for a battery cell are presented. The methods may include providing a silicon-containing anode having reversible electrochemical capabilities including a silicon-containing material and an anode material compatible with a lithium-ion battery chemistry having porous and conductive mechanical properties. The methods may also include enriching a surface layer of the silicon-containing anode with sodium ions to intersperse the sodium ions between silicon atoms of the silicon-containing material. The methods may also include displacing the sodium ions with potassium ions to form a compression layer in the silicon-containing anode. The potassium ions may place the silicon atoms of the silicon-containing material in a pre-compressive state to counteract internal stress exerted on the silicon-containing material.

The present disclosure provides methods for forming a two-dimensional silicon oxide negative electroactive material. The methods include contacting a two-dimensional silicon allotrope and an oxidizing agent in an environment having a temperature of greater than or equal to about 25° C. to less than or equal to about 1,000° C., where the contacting of the two-dimensional silicon allotrope and the oxidizing agent causes the two-dimensional silicon allotrope to oxidize and form the two-dimensional silicon oxide negative electroactive material. In certain variations, the oxidizing agent includes oxygen and the contacting of the two-dimensional silicon allotrope and the oxidizing agent may include disposing the two-dimensional silicon allotrope in an oxygen-containing environment comprising less than or equal to about 21% of oxygen. In other variations, the oxidizing agent includes a wet chemical agent.

A method for the regeneration of cathode material from spent lithium-ion batteries is provided. The method includes dissolving a lithium precursor in a polyhydric alcohol to form a solution. Degraded cathode material containing lithium metal oxides are dispersed into the solution under mechanical stirring, forming a mixture. The mixture is heat treated within a reactor vessel or microwave oven. During this heat treatment, lithium is intercalated into the degraded cathode material. The relithiated electrode material is collected by filtration, washing with solvents, and drying. The relithiated electrode material is then ground with a lithium precursor and thermally treated at a relatively low temperature for a predetermined time period to obtain regenerated cathode material.

Methods, systems, and compositions for the solution-phase deposition of thin films comprising one or more artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layers. The thin films can be coated onto the surface of porous components of electrochemical devices, such as solid-state electrolytes employed in rechargeable batteries. The methods and systems provided herein involve exposing the component to be coated to different liquid reagents in sequential processing steps, with optional intervening rinsing and drying steps. Processing may occur in a single reaction chamber or multiple reaction chambers.