There is disclosed a method of making a surface-modified alkali metal material for electrochemical use, the method comprising bringing a barrier agent into frictional contact with an alkali metal substrate to form a tribochemical barrier layer on the substrate. Also disclosed is a surface-modified alkali metal material for electrochemical use, the material comprising an alkali metal substrate bearing a tribochemical barrier layer.

There is disclosed a method of making a surface-modified alkali metal material for electrochemical use, the method comprising bringing a barrier agent into frictional contact with an alkali metal substrate to form a tribochemical barrier layer on the substrate. Also disclosed is a surface-modified alkali metal material for electrochemical use, the material comprising an alkali metal substrate bearing a tribochemical barrier layer.

A negative electrode material includes a silicon-based material, where a particle of the silicon-based material includes at least one recessed portion, and the recessed portion is 50 nm to 20 μm in width, and 50 nm to 10 μm in depth. The recessed structure leaves room for the silicon-based material to swell, thereby solving the problem of large volume swelling of the silicon-based material. In addition, when the silicon-based material with the recessed structure is composited with a carbon material, a conductive agent, and the like to form a negative electrode plate, small particles of the carbon material and the conductive agent are embedded into the recessed portion of the silicon-based material, solving the problem of low compacted density of the silicon-based negative electrode material with a recessed structure, and compensating for the low volumetric energy density of the recessed structure.

A silicon-polymer composite anode having two or more different molecular weight (MW) versions of the same polymer, method of making the anode and electrochemical energy storage device containing the anode are disclosed.

Silicon particles with a reduced and/or delayed propensity to generate hydrogen gas by reaction with water in aqueous inks for preparing lithium ion battery anodes are prepared by milling silicon, preferably in an oxidative atmosphere, followed by heat treating at an elevated temperature in vacuum or an inert atmosphere.

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.

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.

A negative electrode material includes a composite of a silicon-based material (1), a polymer (2), and carbon nanotubes (3), where the polymer (2) contains a first group and a second group, the first group is chemically bonded to the carbon nanotubes (3), and the second group is chemically bonded to the silicon-based material (1). Both the carbon nanotubes (3) and the polymer (2) containing two groups are applied to surfaces of particles of the silicon-based material (1). The two groups of the polymer (2) are chemically bonded to the silicon-based material (1) and the carbon nanotubes (3) respectively, so that bonding force between the silicon-based material (1) and the carbon nanotubes (3) is enhanced and a uniform carbon nanotube (3) coating layer is formed. This can significantly improve conductive performance of the silicon-based material (1), thereby improving cycling performance and rate performance of an electrochemical apparatus.

Systems and methods utilizing aqueous-based polymer binders for silicon-dominant anodes may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from silicon and an aqueous-based suspension-solution binder composition comprising a water soluble (aqueous-based) polymer as part of a multi-component binder composition that also contains an water insoluble polymer. The electrode coating layer may include more than 70% silicon and the anode may be in a lithium ion battery.

Systems and methods utilizing aqueous-based polymer binders for silicon-dominant anodes may include an electrode coating layer on a current collector, where the electrode coating layer is formed from silicon and an aqueous-based suspension-solution binder composition comprising a water soluble (aqueous-based) polymer as part of a multi-component binder composition that also contains an water insoluble polymer. The electrode coating layer may include more than 70% silicon and the anode may be in a lithium ion battery.