Abstract: Provided is a rope-shaped alkali metal battery comprising: (a) a first electrode comprising a first conductive porous rod having pores and a first mixture of a first electrode active material and a first electrolyte residing in the pores of the first porous rod; (b) a porous separator wrapping around or encasing the first electrode to form a separator-protected first electrode; (c) a second electrode comprising a second conductive porous rod having pores and a second mixture of a second electrode active material and a second electrolyte residing in the pores of the second porous rod; wherein the separator-protected first electrode and second electrode are combined to form a braid or a yarn having a twist or spiral electrode; and (d) a protective casing or sheath wrapping around or encasing the braid or yarn.

Abstract: Disclosed is a facile and cost effective method of producing nano silicon powder or graphene-doped silicon nano powder having a particle size smaller than 100 nm. The method comprises: (a) preparing a silicon precursor/graphene nano composite; (b) mixing the silicon precursor/graphene nano composite with a desired quantity of magnesium; (c) converting the silicon precursor to form a mixture of graphene-doped silicon and a reaction by-product through a thermal and/or chemical reduction reaction; and (d) removing the reaction by-product from the mixture to obtain graphene-doped silicon nano powder.