Abstract: A hybrid electrochemical device including at least two electrically connected solid-state electrochemical cells is provided. Each electrochemical cell includes a first outer electrode having a first current collector and a first electroactive layer, a second outer electrode having a second current collector and a second electroactive layer, and one or more intervening electrodes disposed between the electroactive layers. At least one of the intervening electrodes includes one or more capacitor additives. The first outer electrode is electrically connected to at least one of the intervening electrodes in a first electrical configuration. The second outer electrode is electrically connected to at least one of the intervening electrodes in a second electrical configuration. The at least two electrochemical cells are electrically connected in a third electrical configuration.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a solid-state electrochemical cell having a uniformly distributed solid-state electrolyte and methods of fabrication relating thereto. The method may include forming a plurality of apertures within the one or more solid-state electrodes; impregnating the one or more solid-state electrodes with a solid-state electrolyte precursor solution so as to fill the plurality of apertures and any other void or pores within the one or more electrodes with the solid-state electrolyte precursor solution; and heating the one or more electrodes so as to solidify the solid-state electrolyte precursor solution and to form the distributed solid-state electrolyte.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an electrode for an electrochemical cell includes providing an admixture including an electroactive material, a binder, and a solvent. The method further includes rolling the admixture to form a sheet and forming a multi-layer stack from the sheet. The method further includes forming an electrode film precursor by performing a plurality of sequential rollings, each including rolling the stack through a first gap. The plurality of sequential rollings includes first and second rollings. In the first rolling, the stack is in a first orientation. In the second rolling, the stack is in a second orientation different from the first orientation. The method further includes forming an electrode film by rolling the electrode film precursor through a second gap less than or equal to the first gap. The method further includes drying the electrode film to remove at least a portion of the solvent.

Abstract: An anode-free solid-state battery includes a cathode layer having transient anode elements and a bare current collector devoid of non-transitory anode material and configured to accept thereon the transient anode elements. The battery also includes a solid-state electrolyte layer defining voids and arranged between the current collector and the cathode layer. The battery additionally includes a gel situated within the solid-state electrolyte and cathode layers, to permeate the electrolyte voids and form a gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, coat the cathode layer, and facilitate ionic conduction of the anode elements between the cathode layer, the solid-state electrolyte layer, and the current collector. Charging the battery diffuses the anode elements from the cathode layer, via the gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, onto the current collector. Discharging the battery returns the anode elements, via the gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, to the cathode layer.

Abstract: A capacitor-assisted electrode for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions is provided. The capacitor-assisted electrode may include at least two electroactive materials disposed on one or more surfaces of a current collector. A first electroactive material of the at least two electroactive materials may have a first reversible specific capacity and forms a first electroactive material having a first press density. A second electroactive material of the at least two electroactive materials has a second reversible specific capacity and forms a second electroactive material having a second press density. The second reversible specific capacity may be different from the first reversible specific capacity. The second press density may be different from the first press density. One or more capacitor materials may be disposed on or intermingled with one or more of the at least two electroactive materials.

Abstract: A pouch-type, capacitor-assisted battery cell includes: N negative electrodes, where N is an integer greater than one, each of the N negative electrodes includes a first current collector, first particulate electrode material, and a first tab; P positive electrodes, where: P-M ones of the P positive electrodes include a second current collector, second particulate electrode material, and a second tab, M ones of the P positive electrodes include a third current collector, third particulate electrode material including activated carbon (AC) arranged on opposite sides of the third current collector, and a third tab, and P=N?1 and M=2; separators arranged between the N negative electrodes and the P positive electrodes; and a pouch enclosure surrounding the N negative electrodes, the P positive electrodes and the separators; where the M ones of the P positive electrodes are located approximately equidistant from a center of the P positive electrodes.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions, where the electrochemical cell includes an electrode, a solid-state electrolyte layer, and a solid-state interlayer disposed between the electrode and the solid-state electrolyte layer. The solid-state interlayer includes a plurality of solid-state electrolyte particles. In certain instances, the solid-state interlayer includes a plurality of through-holes dispersed therewithin. The through-holes have an average diameter between about 0.05 to about 100 micrometers. The solid-state interlay covers between about 50% and about 100% of a total surface area of the electrode. In each variation, solid-state interlayer has a thickness greater than or equal to about 0.1 to less than or equal to about 8 micrometers, and the electrochemical cell may include a polymeric gel electrolyte that at least partially fills voids between solid-state electroactive particle and solid-state electrolyte particles.

Abstract: A capacitor-assisted battery module includes a housing, a positive terminal, a negative terminal, one or more capacitor-assisted battery cells and one or more first switches. The one or more capacitor-assisted battery cells are disposed in the housing and include one or more battery terminals and one or more capacitor terminals. The one or more battery terminals are connected to battery electrodes. The one or more capacitor terminals are connected to capacitor electrodes. At least one of the one or more battery terminals and the capacitor terminals is connected to the negative terminal. One or more first switches is configured to connect the one or more capacitor terminals to the positive terminal. An overall voltage of the capacitor assisted battery module is measured across the positive terminal and the negative terminal.

Abstract: A high-power gel-assisted battery stack that cycles lithium ions is provided with two terminal electrodes having opposite polarities and at least one bipolar electrode assembly disposed therebetween. A first electrode is disposed on a first side of a bipolar current collector and a second electrode with an opposite polarity to the first electrode is disposed on a second side of the bipolar current collector. Each electrode includes a porous layer having an electroactive material and a solid-state electrolyte disposed in a polymeric binder. A polymer gel electrolyte is distributed in pores of the porous. The stack also includes at least two free-standing gel separator layers each being disposed between the at least one bipolar electrode assembly and terminal electrodes. Each respective free-standing gel separator layer comprises polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and an electrolyte distributed therein. The high-power gel-assisted battery stack has a maximum voltage rating of ?about 12V.

Abstract: Negative electrodes for electrochemical cells that cycle lithium ions are provided. The negative electrodes comprise electroactive material particles that exhibit a core-shell structure defining a core made of a lithiated silicon-based material and a shell surrounding the core that is a bi-layer structure including first and second carbon coating layers. An electrical conductivity of the first carbon coating layer is greater than that of the second carbon coating layer. A method of manufacturing a negative electrode material is provided in which a first carbon coating layer is formed on an outer surface of a silicon-based precursor particle. The silicon-based precursor particle is exposed to a lithium source to form a lithiated silicon-based particle having the first carbon coating layer. A second carbon coating layer is formed on the first carbon coating layer over the lithiated silicon-based particle to form an electroactive material particle.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to solid-state electrolytes and methods of making the same. The method includes admixing a sulfate precursor including one or more of Li2SO4 and Li2SO4.H2O with one or more carbonaceous capacitor materials. The first admixture is calcined to form an electrolyte precursor that is admixed with one or more additional components to form the solid-state electrolyte. When a ratio of the sulfate precursor to the one or more carbonaceous capacitor materials in the first admixture is about 1:2, the electrolyte precursor consists essentially of Li2S. When a ratio of the sulfate precursor to the one or more carbonaceous capacitor materials in the first admixture is less than about 1:2, the electrolyte precursor is a composite precursor including a solid-state capacitor cluster including the one or more carbonaceous capacitor materials and a sulfide coating including Li2S disposed on one or more exposed surfaces of the solid-state capacitor cluster.

Abstract: An anode-free solid-state battery includes a cathode layer having transient anode elements and a bare current collector devoid of non-transitory anode material and configured to accept thereon the transient anode elements. The battery also includes a solid-state electrolyte layer defining voids and arranged between the current collector and the cathode layer. The battery additionally includes a gel situated within the solid-state electrolyte and cathode layers, to permeate the electrolyte voids and form a gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, coat the cathode layer, and facilitate ionic conduction of the anode elements between the cathode layer, the solid-state electrolyte layer, and the current collector. Charging the battery diffuses the anode elements from the cathode layer, via the gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, onto the current collector. Discharging the battery returns the anode elements, via the gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, to the cathode layer.

Abstract: An electrode including micro-sized secondary particle (MSSP) with enhanced ionic conductivity for solid-state battery is provided. The MSSP comprises a cathode particle and a solid-state electrolyte. The cathode particle is at least partially coated by solid-state electrolyte. The lithium ion transport inside the micro-sized secondary particles is increased by the incorporation of solid-state electrolyte. The electrode can be prepared by casting the slurry comprising MSSP, another electrolyte, binders, and conductive additives on the current collector. The current collector is comprised of a conductive material. The current collector has a first side and a second side. The electrode active material layer is disposed on one of the first and second sides of the current collector.

Abstract: Electrodes are formed with a porous layer of particulate electrode material bonded to each of the two major sides of a compatible metal current collector. In one embodiment, opposing electrodes are formed with like lithium-ion battery anode materials or like cathode materials or capacitor materials on both sides of the current collector. In another embodiment, a battery electrode material is applied to one side of a current collector and capacitor material is applied to the other side. In general, the electrodes are formed by combining a suitable grouping of capacitor layers with un-equal numbers of anode and cathode battery layers. One or more pairs of opposing electrodes are assembled to provide a combination of battery and capacitor energy and power properties in a hybrid electrochemical cell. The cells may be formed by stacking or winding rolls of the opposing electrodes with interposed separators.

Abstract: A sulfide-impregnated solid-state battery is provided. The battery comprises a cell core constructed by basic cell units. Each unit comprises a positive electrode comprising a cathode layer and a positive meshed current collector comprising a conductive material which is further coated by oxide-based solid-state electrolyte. The cell unit further comprises a negative electrode comprising an anode layer and a negative meshed current collector comprising a conductive material which is further coated by oxide-based solid-state electrolyte. The positive and negative electrodes are stacked together to form the cell unit. The two coated oxide-based solid electrolyte layers are disposed between the positive and negative electrode as dual separators. Such a cell unit may be repeated or connected in parallel or bipolar stacking to form the cell core to achieve a desired battery voltage, power and energy. The cell core comprises a sulfide-based solid-state electrolyte dispersed in the pore structures of cell core.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical cell that includes a double-sided electrode. The double-sided electrode includes a first electroactive material layer, a second electroactive material layer, and a current collector disposed between the first and second electroactive material layers. Each of the first and second electroactive material layers may include a plurality of electroactive material sub-films and a plurality of buffer layers disposed between adjacent electroactive material sub-films. The electrochemical cell further includes a first single-sided electrode substantially aligned with the first electroactive material layer; a first separator physically separating the first single-sided electrode and the first electroactive material layer; a second single-sided electrode substantially aligned with the second electroactive material layer; and a second separator physically separating the second single-sided electrode and the second electroactive material layer.

Abstract: Lithium-based and sodium-based batteries and capacitors using metal foil current collectors, coated with porous layers of particles of active electrode materials for producing an electric current, may adapted to produce heat for enhancing output when the cells are required to periodically operate during low ambient temperatures. A self-heating cell may be placed in heat transfer contact with a working cell that is temporarily in a cold environment. Or one or both of the anode current collector and cathode current collectors of a heating cell may be formed with shaped extended portions, uncoated with electrode materials, through which cell current may be passed for resistance heating of the extended current collector areas. These extended current collector areas may be used to heat the working area of the cell in which they are incorporated, or to contact and heat an adjacent working cell.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a solid-state battery including at least one current collector that is in communication with one or more switches configured to move between open and closed positions, where the open position corresponds to a first operational state of the solid-state battery and the closed position corresponds to a second operational state of the solid-state battery; one or more electrodes disposed adjacent to the one or more current collectors; and one or more electrothermal material foils including a resistor material that is in electrical communication with that at least one current collector, where in the first operational state electrons may flow through the one or more electrothermal material foils during cycling of the solid-state battery so as to initiate a heating mode, and in the second operational state electrons may flow through the current collector during cycling of the solid-state battery so as to initiate a non-heating mode.

Abstract: A copper foil, intended for use as a current collector in a lithium-containing electrode for a lithium-based electrochemical cell, is subjected to a series of chemical oxidation and reduction processing steps to form a field of integral copper wires extending outwardly from the surfaces of the current collector (and from the copper content of the foil) to be coated with a resin-bonded porous layer of particles of active electrode material. The copper wires serve to anchor thicker layers of porous electrode material and enhance liquid electrolyte contact with the electrode particles and the current collector to improve the energy output of the cell and its useful life.

Abstract: Lithium-based and sodium-based batteries and capacitors using metal foil current collectors, coated with porous layers of particles of active electrode materials for producing an electric current, may adapted to produce heat for enhancing output when the cells are required to periodically operate during low ambient temperatures. A self-heating cell may be placed in heat transfer contact with a working cell that is temporarily in a cold environment. Or one or both of the anode current collector and cathode current collectors of a heating cell may be formed with shaped extended portions, uncoated with electrode materials, through which cell current may be passed for resistance heating of the extended current collector areas. These extended current collector areas may be used to heat the working area of the cell in which they are incorporated, or to contact and heat an adjacent working cell.