A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery includes an amorphous carbon matrix, silicon particles dispersed in the amorphous carbon matrix, and a nitrogen-containing carbon compound protruding outward from the surface of the amorphous carbon matrix. Additional embodiments provide a method of preparing the same and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same.

Described herein are low or no-cobalt materials useful as electrode active materials in a cathode for lithium or lithium-ion batteries. For example, compositions of matter are described herein, such as electrode active materials that can be incorporated into an electrode, such as a cathode. The disclosed electrode active materials exhibit high specific energy and voltage, and can also exhibit high rate capability and/or long operational lifetime.

A rechargeable metal halide battery fabricated with a liquid nitrogen treated metallic anode demonstrates a stable cycle life with a slow rate of degradation and high discharge capacity in comparison to battery cells with untreated anodes. The anode, which may be an alkali metal and/or an alkaline earth metal, is pretreated with the liquid nitrogen prior to formation in a battery stack. The liquid nitrogen treatment forms a metal nitride on a surface of the anode that (i) increases the surface area of the anode, (ii) acts as a passivation layer that prevents detrimental SEI-forming side reactions that degrade anodes, and (iii) suppresses dendrite growth. Where the anode is lithium, the metal nitride is lithium nitride (Li.sub.3N).

A lithium borosilicate composition, consisting essentially of a system of lithium oxide in combination with silicon oxide and boron oxide, wherein said lithium borosilicate comprises between 70-83 atomic % lithium based on the combined atomic percentages of lithium, boron and silicon, and wherein said lithium borosilicate is a glass, is disclosed.

Battery electrode compositions and methods of fabrication are provided that utilize composite particles. Each of the composite particles may comprise, for example, a high-capacity active material and a porous, electrically-conductive scaffolding matrix material. The active material may store and release ions during battery operation, and may exhibit (i) a specific capacity of at least 220 mAh/g as a cathode active material or (ii) a specific capacity of at least 400 mAh/g as an anode active material. The active material may be disposed in the pores of the scaffolding matrix material. According to various designs, each composite particle may exhibit at least one material property that changes from the center to the perimeter of the scaffolding matrix material.

Described herein are low or no-cobalt materials useful as electrode active materials in a cathode for lithium or lithium-ion batteries. For example, compositions of matter are described herein, such as electrode active materials that can be incorporated into an electrode, such as a cathode. The disclosed electrode active materials exhibit high specific energy and voltage, and can also exhibit high rate capability and/or long operational lifetime.

Systems, articles, and methods generally related to the electrochemical formation of layers comprising halogen ions on substrates are described.

Provided is a rechargeable metal halide battery with an anode; an electrolyte including (i) an oxidizing gas, (ii) a metal halide, and (iii) a heterocyclic compound solvent; and a current collector contacting the active cathode material. As the metal halide of the electrolyte acts as an active cathode material that can receive, store, and release metal ions during charging and discharging of the battery, the battery does not require a dedicated cathode. The lack of a dedicated cathode results in a rechargeable battery with high power density that is lightweight and inexpensive to make.

The disclosure set forth herein is directed to battery devices and methods therefor. More specifically, embodiments of the instant disclosure provide a battery electrode that comprises both intercalation chemistry material and conversion chemistry material, which can be used in automotive applications. There are other embodiments as well.

A method uses mild fluorinating agents, such as hydrofluorocarbons—HCFs, perfluorocarbons—PFCs, hydrochlorofluorocarbons HCFCs and chlorofluorocarbons—CFCs, to fine-tune the fluorination process in battery material preparation in order to obtain uniform nanometer-sized surface fluoride coated battery materials. The use of a vertical flow-type tube reactor permits a fine-tuning of the fluorination process by accurately regulating the active gas or mixture of gases flow over battery materials using mass-flow regulators, and precisely setting the temperature with vertical rube furnace. Additionally, these fluorinating agents have slightly different reactivity, decomposing and reacting with battery materials at different temperatures, and therefore, offering additional parameter of fluorination fine-tuning. The method is scalable and can be easily adapted as an industrial solution. Moreover, all these gases are non-toxic, non-corrosive and non-flammable gases at room temperatures, hence, they are more convenient to handle than highly-toxic and highly-corrosive HF and F.sub.2 gases.