Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a graphene oxide platelet-filled polyimide film comprising the steps of: (a) mixing graphene oxide platelets with a polyimide precursor material and a liquid to form a slurry; (b) forming a wet film from said slurry; (c) partially or completely removing the liquid from the wet film to form a precursor polyimide composite film; and (d) imidizing the precursor polyimide composite film to approximately 90% or more completion of the crosslinking reaction, to obtain a graphene oxide platelet-filled composite film.

Abstract: Provided is a process for manufacturing a graphene material, the process comprising (a) injecting a rust stock into a first end of a continuous reactor having a toroidal vortex flow, wherein the first stock comprises graphite and a non-oxidizing liquid (or, alternatively, graphite, an acid, and an optional oxidizer) and the continuous flow reactor is configured to produce the toroidal vortex flow, enabling the formation of a reaction product suspension or slurry at the second end, downstream from the first end, of the continuous reactor; and (b) introducing the reaction product suspension/slurry from the second end back to enter the continuous reactor at or near the first end, allowing the reaction product suspension/slurry to form a toroidal vortex flow and move down to or near the second end to produce a graphene suspension or graphene oxide slurry. The process may further comprise repeating step (b) for at least one time.

Abstract: Provided is a continuous reactor system for producing graphene or an inorganic 2-D compound, the reactor comprising: (a) a rust body comprising an outer wall and a second body comprising an inner wall, wherein the inner wall defines a bore and the first body is configured within the bore and a motor is configured to rotate the first and/or second body; (b) a reaction chamber between the outer wall of the first body and the inner wall of the second body; (c) a first inlet and a second inlet disposed at first end of the reactor and in fluid communication with the reaction chamber; (d) a first outlet and a second outlet disposed downstream from the first inlet, the outlets being in fluid communication with the reaction chamber; and (e) a flow return conduit having two inlets/outlets in fluid communication with two ends of the reactor.

Abstract: Provided is a bi-polar electrode for a battery, the electrode comprising: (a) a current collector comprising a conductive material foil (e.g. metal foil) having a thickness from 10 nm to 100 ?m and two opposed, parallel primary surfaces, wherein one or both of the primary surfaces is coated with a layer of exfoliated graphite or expanded graphite material having a thickness from 10 nm to 50 ?m; and (b) a negative electrode layer and a positive electrode layer respectively disposed on the two sides of the current collector, each in physical contact with the layer of exfoliated graphite or expanded graphite material or directly with a primary surface of the conductive material foil (if not coated with a exfoliated or expanded graphite layer). Also provided is a battery comprising multiple (e.g. 2-300) bipolar electrodes internally connected in series. There can be multiple bi-polar electrodes that are connected in parallel.

Abstract: Provided is a bi-polar electrode for a battery, wherein the bi-polar electrode comprises: (a) a current collector comprising a conductive material foil (e.g. metal foil) having a thickness from 10 nm to 100 ?m and two opposed, parallel primary surfaces, wherein one or both of the primary surfaces is coated with a layer of graphene material having a thickness from 10 nm to 10 ?m; and (b) a negative electrode layer and a positive electrode layer respectively disposed on the two sides of the current collector, each in physical contact with the layer of graphene material or directly with a primary surface of the conductive material foil (if not coated with a graphene material layer). Also provided is a battery comprising multiple (e.g. 2-300) bipolar electrodes internally connected in series. There can be multiple bi-polar electrodes that are connected in parallel.

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a bi-polar electrode for a battery or capacitor, the process comprising: (a) providing a conductive material foil having a thickness from 10 nm to 100 ?m and two opposing parallel primary surfaces, and coating one or both of the primary surfaces with a layer of graphene material having a thickness from 5 nm to 50 ?m to form a graphene-coated current collector; and (b) depositing a negative electrode layer and a positive electrode layer respectively onto two opposing primary surfaces of the graphene-coated current collector, wherein the negative electrode layer is in physical contact with the layer of graphene material or in direct contact with a primary surface of the conductive material foil and the positive electrode layer is in physical contact with the layer of graphene material or directly with the opposing primary surface of the conductive material foil.

Abstract: Provided is an elastic heat spreader film comprising: a) a graphitic film prepared from graphitization of a polymer film or pitch film, wherein the graphitic film has graphitic crystals parallel to one another and parallel to a film plane, having an inter-graphene spacing less than 0.34 nm, and wherein the graphitic film alone, after compression, has a thermal conductivity at least 600 W/mK, an electrical conductivity no less than 4,000 S/cm, and a physical density greater than 1.7 g/cm3; and b) an elastomer or rubber that permeates into the graphitic film from at least a surface of the film; wherein the elastomer or rubber is in an amount from 0.001% to 30% by weight based on the total heat spreader film weight. The elastic heat spreader film has a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 100% and an in-plane thermal conductivity from 100 W/mK to 1,750 W/mK.

Abstract: Provided is a battery charging system comprising (a) at least one charging circuit to charge at least one rechargeable battery cell; (b) a heat source to provide heat that is transported through a heat spreader element, implemented fully or partially inside said at least one battery cell, to heat up the battery cell to a desired temperature Tc before or during battery charging; and (c) cooling means in thermal contact with the heat spreader element configured to enable transporting internal heat of the battery cell through the heat spreader element to the cooling means when the battery cell is discharged. Charging the battery at Tc enables completion of the battery in less than 15 minutes, typically less than 10 minutes, and more typically less than 5 minutes without adversely impacting the battery structure and performance.

Abstract: Provided is a rechargeable battery comprising an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, a protective housing that at least partially encloses the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte, a heat-spreader element disposed at least partially inside the protective housing and configured to receive heat from an external heat source at a desired heating temperature Th to heat up the battery to a desired temperature Tc for battery charging. Preferably, the heat-spreader element does not receive an electrical current from an external circuit (e.g. battery charger) to generate heat for resistance heating of the battery. Charging the battery at Tc enables completion of the battery in less than 15 minutes, typically less than 10 minutes, and more typically less than 5 minutes without adversely impacting the battery structure and performance.

Abstract: Provided is a rechargeable battery comprising an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, a protective housing that at least partially encloses the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte, a heat-spreader element disposed at least partially inside the protective housing and configured to receive heat from an external heat source at a desired heating temperature Th to heat up the battery to a desired temperature Tc for battery charging. Preferably, the heat-spreader element does not receive an electrical current from an external circuit (e.g. battery charger) to generate heat for resistance heating of the battery. Charging the battery at Tc enables completion of the battery in less than 15 minutes, typically less than 10 minutes, and more typically less than 5 minutes without adversely impacting the battery structure and performance.

Abstract: Provided is a rechargeable battery system comprising at least a battery cell and an external cooling means, wherein the battery cell comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, a protective housing that at least partially encloses the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte, and at least one heat-spreader element disposed partially or entirely inside the protective housing and wherein the external cooling means is in thermal contact with the heat spreader element configured to enable transporting internal heat of the battery through the heat spreader element to the external cooling means. Also provided is a method of operating a rechargeable battery system, the method comprising implementing a heat spreader element in one or each of a plurality of battery cells and bringing the heat spreader element in thermal contact with one or a plurality of external cooling means.

Abstract: Provided is a prelithiated anode active material particle for use in a lithium-ion battery, the particle is capable of reversibly storing lithium ions therein during a charge or discharge of the battery and comprises an amount of lithium from 1% to 100% of a maximum lithium content that can be contained in the anode active material particle, having a first lithium concentration C1 near a particle surface and a second lithium concentration C2 inside the particle and away from the particle surface and wherein C1<C2.

Abstract: Provided is a lithium metal secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte-separator assembly disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the anode comprises an anode current collector or an anode active material layer supported by an anode current collector and the cathode comprises: (a) a cathode active material layer preferably supported on a cathode current collector; and (b) a cathode-protecting layer in physical contact with the cathode active material layer and in ionic contact with the electrolyte-separator assembly, wherein the cathode-protecting layer has a thickness from 10 nm to 500 ?m and comprising an electrically and ionically conducting network of cross-linked polymer chains having a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 to 5×10?2 S/cm and an electron conductivity from 10?8 to 103 S/cm.

Abstract: The disclosure provides multi-functional composite particulates for a lithium battery, wherein at least one of the composite particulates has a diameter from 100 nm to 50 ?m and comprises a polymer electrolyte matrix comprising a lithium salt dissolved or dispersed in the polymer electrolyte matrix and one or a plurality of primary particles of an anode active material that are encapsulated by, embedded in, dispersed in, or bonded by the polymer electrolyte having a lithium ion conductivity from 10-8 to 5×10?2 S/cm, wherein the primary particles have a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 20 ?m and occupy a weight fraction from 5% to 98% based on the total weight of the composite particulate. Also provided is a method of producing such composite particulates, an anode electrode comprising these particulates, and a lithium cell.

Abstract: Provided is a method of improving the cycle-life of a lithium metal secondary battery, the method comprising implementing an anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer (or an anode current collector layer substantially without any lithium when the battery is made) and a porous separator/electrolyte assembly, wherein the anode-protecting layer is in a close physical contact with the anode active material layer (or the anode current collector), has a thickness from 10 nm to 500 ?m and comprises an electrically and ionically conducting network of cross-linked polymer chains having a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 to 5×10?2 S/cm and an electron conductivity from 10?8 to 103 S/cm and wherein the anode active material layer contains a layer of lithium or lithium alloy, in a form of a foil, coating, or multiple particles aggregated together, as an anode active material.

Abstract: Provided is a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell comprising an anode active material layer, an electrolyte, and a cathode active material layer comprising multiple particulates, wherein at least one of the particulates comprises one or a plurality of sulfur-containing material particles being partially or fully embraced or encapsulated by a thin shell layer of a conducting polymer network, having a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?8 S/cm, an electron conductivity from 10?8 to 103 S/cm at room temperature (typically up to 5×10?2 S/cm), and a shell layer thickness from 0.5 nm to 10 ?m. This battery exhibits an excellent combination of high sulfur content, high sulfur utilization efficiency, high energy density, and long cycle life. Also provided are a powder mass containing such multiple particulates, a cathode layer comprising such multiple particulates, and a method of producing the cathode layer and the battery cell.

Abstract: Provided is an anode particulate for a lithium battery, the particulate comprising a polymer foam material having pores and a single or a plurality of primary particles of an anode active material embedded in or in contact with said polymer foam material, wherein said primary particles of anode active material have a total solid volume Va, and said pores have a total pore volume Vp, and the volume ratio Vp/Va is from 0.1/1.0 to 10/1.

Abstract: Provided is a lithium metal secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, an electrolyte-separator assembly disposed between the cathode and the anode, wherein the anode comprises: (a) an anode active material layer containing a layer of lithium or lithium alloy optionally supported by an anode current collector; and (b) an anode-protecting layer in physical contact with the anode active material layer and in ionic contact with the electrolyte-separator assembly, having a thickness from 10 nm to 500 ?m and comprising an electrically and ionically conducting network of cross-linked conjugated polymer chains having a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 to 5×10?2 S/cm and an electron conductivity from 10?8 to 103 S/cm.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing multiple particulates, the method comprising: (a) dispersing multiple primary particles of an anode active material, having a particle size from 2 nm to 20 ?m, and particles of a polymer foam material, having a particle size from 50 nm to 20 ?m, and an optional adhesive or binder in a liquid medium to form a slurry; and (b) shaping the slurry and removing the liquid medium to form the multiple particulates having a diameter from 100 nm to 50 ?m; wherein at least one of the multiple particulates comprises a polymer foam material having pores and a single or a plurality of the primary particles embedded in or in contact with the polymer foam material, wherein the primary particles have a total solid volume Va, and the pores have a total pore volume Vp, and the volume ratio Vp/Va is from 0.1/1.0 to 10/1.

Abstract: The disclosure provides multi-functional cathode particulates for a lithium battery, wherein at least one of the particulates has a diameter from 100 nm to 50 ?m and comprises a conducting polymer network composite comprising one or a plurality of primary particles of a cathode active material that are partially or fully encapsulated by, embedded in, dispersed in, or bonded by an electrically and ionically conducting network of cross-linked polymer chains having a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 to 5×10?2 S/cm and an electron conductivity from 10?8 to 103 S/cm, wherein the primary particles have a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 20 ?m. Also provided is a method of producing such cathode particulates.