Abstract: A lithium battery comprising an anode, a cathode, a solid-state electrolyte, an interface enhancer composition in ionic communication with the anode and the cathode, wherein (a) the electrolyte comprises a solid polymer, a polymer gel, an inorganic solid-state, or a polymer/inorganic composite electrolyte; (b) the interface enhancer composition comprises a lithium salt, a liquid solution comprising an organic solvent or ionic liquid and a lithium salt dissolved therein, a polymer containing a lithium salt dissolved or dispersed therein, or a combination thereof; (c) the cathode comprises a cathode active layer comprising particles of a cathode active material, a conductive additive, an optional binder, and pores occupying 1% to 40% by volume of the cathode active layer and the interface enhancer resides in 30% to 100% of the pores; and (d) the interface enhancer is present between the solid-state electrolyte and the cathode and between the solid-state electrolyte and the anode.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of improving the cycle-life of a lithium metal secondary battery. The method comprises implementing an anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer and a porous separator/electrolyte, wherein the anode-protecting layer or cathode-protecting layer comprises a conductive sulfonated elastomer composite having from 0.01% to 50% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material and the protecting layer has a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 100 S/cm when measured at room temperature.

Abstract: A composite particulate for a lithium battery, wherein the composite particulate has a diameter from 10 nm to 50 ?m and comprises one or more than one anode active material particles that are dispersed in a high-elasticity polymer matrix or encapsulated by a high-elasticity polymer shell, wherein said high-elasticity polymer matrix or shell has a recoverable elastic tensile strain no less than 5%, when measured without an additive or reinforcement dispersed therein, and a lithium ion conductivity no less than 10?8 S/cm at room temperature and wherein the high-elasticity polymer comprises a crosslinked polymer network of chains derived from a phosphazene compound.

Abstract: A rechargeable lithium battery comprising an anode, a cathode, and a hybrid electrolyte in ionic communication with the anode and the cathode, wherein: (a) the hybrid electrolyte comprises a mixture of a polymer and particles of an inorganic solid electrolyte; (b) the polymer is a polymerization or crosslinking product of a reactive additive, wherein the reactive additive comprises (i) a first liquid solvent that is polymerizable, (ii) an initiator or curing agent, and (iii) a lithium salt; (c) the polymer is present in the anode, the cathode, the separator, between the anode and the separator, or between the cathode and the separator; and (d) the hybrid electrolyte forms a contiguous phase in the cathode or in the anode, and occupies from 3% to 40% by volume of the cathode or from 3% to 40% by volume of the anode. Also provided is a process for producing the lithium cell.

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 supercapacitor comprising an anode, a cathode, an ion-permeable separator disposed between said anode and said cathode, and an electrolyte in ionic contact with said anode and said cathode, wherein at least one of the anode and the cathode comprises 0.001% to 95% by weight of multiple graphene sheets spaced by or dispersed in cement and said multiple graphene sheets, when measured alone without cement, have a specific surface area from 50 to 3,300 m2/g. The electrode may further comprise a carbon or graphite material selected from natural graphite, artificial graphite, expanded graphite, meso-phase carbon, meso-phase pitch, meso-carbon micro-bead, soft carbon, hard carbon, coke, carbon fiber, carbon nano-fiber, carbon nano-tube, activated carbon, carbon black, acetylene black, or a combination thereof. Also provided is such a supercapacitor electrode (anode or cathode) and a process for producing an electrode for such a supercapacitor.

Abstract: Provided is a battery assembly having a distributed cooling and fire protection system, the battery assembly comprising: (a) a plurality of battery cells; (b) a case configured to hold the plurality of battery cells; and (c) a cooling liquid distribution system, having a cooling liquid reservoir and/or pipes that are in proximity to at least a subset of the plurality of the cells and configured to deliver, on demand, a desired amount of the first cooling liquid on a cell or multiple cells in the vicinity of the cell when a temperature of the cell exceeds a threshold temperature; wherein the first cooling liquid comprises a fire protection or fire suppression substance which, on contact with the cell, prevents, retards, or extinguishes a cell fire and prevents a propagation or cell-to-cell cascading reactions of a thermal runaway or fire event.

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing an integral graphene film, comprising: (a) preparing a graphene dispersion having chemically functionalized graphene sheets dispersed in a fluid medium wherein the graphene sheets contain chemical functional groups attached thereto; (b) dispensing and depositing a wet film of the graphene dispersion onto a supporting substrate, wherein the dispensing and depositing procedure includes mechanical shear stress-induced alignment of the graphene sheets along a film planar direction, and partially or completely removing the fluid medium to form a relatively dried film comprising aligned chemically functionally graphene sheets; and (c) using heat, electromagnetic waves, UV light, or high-energy radiation to induce chemical reactions or chemical bonding between chemical functional groups attached to adjacent chemically functionalized graphene sheets to form the integral graphene film.

Abstract: Provided is a method of improving a cycle-life of a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell, the method comprising implementing an electronically non-conducting anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer and a cathode active material without using a porous separator in the cell, wherein the anode-protecting layer has a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m and comprises an elastomer having a fully recoverable tensile elastic strain from 2% to 1,000%, a lithium ion or sodium ion conductivity from 10?8 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm, and an electronic conductivity less than 10?4 S/cm when measured at room temperature. This battery exhibits an excellent combination of high sulfur content, high sulfur utilization efficiency, high energy density, no known dendrite issue, no dead lithium or dead sodium issue, and a long cycle life.

Abstract: Provided is method of producing a porous anode material structure for a lithium-ion battery, the method comprising (A) providing an integral 3D graphene-carbon hybrid foam comprising multiple pores, having a pore volume Vp, and pore walls; and (B) impregnating or infiltrating the pores with a fluid for forming a coating of an anode active material, having a coating volume Vc, deposited on or bonded to surfaces of the pore walls; wherein the pore walls contain single-layer or few-layer graphene sheets chemically bonded by a carbon material having a carbon material-to-graphene weight ratio from 1/200 to 1/2, and wherein the volume ratio Vp/Vc is from 0.1/1.0 to 10/1.0.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing multi-functional particulates of graphene-protected conducting polymer gel network-encapsulated anode particles for a lithium battery, said method comprising: a) Dispersing a plurality of primary particles of an anode active material, having a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 20 ?m, and multiple graphene sheets into a precursor to a conducting polymer gel network to form a suspension; and b) Forming said suspension into micro-droplets and, concurrently or sequentially, polymerizing and/or crosslinking said precursor to form said multi-functional particulates. The conducting polymer gel network comprises a polyaniline hydrogel, polypyrrole hydrogel, or polythiophene hydrogel in a dehydrated state.

Abstract: An optically transparent and electrically conductive film composed of metal nanowires or carbon nanotubes combined with pristine graphene with a metal nanowire-to-graphene or carbon nanotube-to-graphene weight ratio from 1/99 to 99/1, wherein the pristine graphene is single-crystalline and contains no oxygen and no hydrogen, and the film exhibits an optical transparence no less than 80% and sheet resistance no higher than 300 ohm/square. This film can be used as a transparent conductive electrode in an electro-optic device, such as a photovoltaic or solar cell, light-emitting diode, photo-detector, touch screen, electro-wetting display, liquid crystal display, plasma display, LED display, a TV screen, a computer screen, or a mobile phone screen.

Abstract: The disclosure provides composite particulates for a lithium battery, at least one of the composite particulates comprises (a) a polymer electrolyte comprising a first polymer and a precursor to a second polymer, comprising from 0% to 50% by weight of a lithium salt dissolved or dispersed in the polymer electrolyte, wherein the second polymer precursor comprises a polymerizable, polymerizing, cross-linkable, and/or cross-linking liquid comprising a monomer, an oligomer, an initiator, and/or a cross-linking agent; (b) a plurality of particles of an anode or cathode active material (5-98%) embedded, dispersed in, encapsulated, or bonded by the polymer electrolyte having a lithium ion conductivity from 10?8 to 5×10?2 S/cm; (c) particles of an inorganic material (0-30%); and (d) an electron-conducting additive (0-30%). These composite particulates are building blocks for an anode or cathode.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of improving the cycle-life of a lithium metal secondary battery. The method comprises implementing an anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer and a porous separator/electrolyte, wherein the anode-protecting layer or cathode-protecting layer comprises a conductive sulfonated elastomer composite having from 0.01% to 40% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material and from 0.01% to 40% by weight of an electrochemically stable inorganic filler dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material and the protecting layer has a thickness from 1 nm to 100 ?m, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 5×10?2 S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10?7 S/cm to 100 S/cm when measured at room temperature.

Abstract: A method of producing graphitic or carbonaceous particles from activated carbon, the method comprising (a) providing particles of activated carbon having pores, wherein the pores have a volume fraction from 20% to 99.9% (preferably from 50% to 95%); (b) impregnating or infiltrating the pores with a carbon precursor to form composite particles comprising activated carbon particles having pores partially or fully filled with the carbon precursor; and (c) heat-treating the composite particles to convert the carbon precursor to a carbonaceous material or a graphitic material that reside in the pores or merged with a structure (e.g., pore walls) of the activated carbon. The activated carbon particles are preferably obtained by heat-treating a biomass feedstock and activating the heat treated biomass (e.g., biochar). The biomass heat-treating and the activation procedures can be conducted sequentially or concurrently.

Abstract: 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) a polymer electrolyte, comprising from 0.1% to 50% by weight of a lithium salt dissolved or dispersed in the polymer electrolyte; (b) a plurality of primary particles of an anode or cathode 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 occupy a weight fraction from 5% to 98%; (c) particles of an inorganic material occupying a weight fraction from 0% to 30% (preferably from 0.1% to 20%); and (d) an electron-conducting additive having a weight fraction of 0% to 30% (preferably from 0.1% to 20%) based on the total weight of the composite particulate.

Abstract: A plurality of porous carbon/semiconductor nanowire particulates and production processes, wherein a particulate comprises (i) a porous carbon matrix or shell; (ii) semiconductor nanowires dispersed in the carbon matrix or encapsulated by the carbon shell, wherein the nanowires have a diameter or thickness from 5 nm to 1 ?m (preferably from 10 nm to 500 nm); and (iii) pores surrounded by or adjacent to the semiconductor nanowires; wherein the semiconductor nanowires occupy a weight fraction from 1% to 99% of the particulate and the semiconductor material and the catalytic metal form an eutectic point in a phase diagram; and wherein the pores have a non-zero residual pore volume, Vp, unoccupied by the carbon or semiconductor nanowires and the semiconductor nanowires have a total volume of Vn, having a Vp/Vn ratio from 0.01 to 10 (preferably from 0.1 to 5.0 and most preferably from 0.3 to 4.0).

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing one or a plurality of lithium cells, comprising: (a) providing at least a dry lithium cell, comprising a cathode, an anode, a porous separator, and a protective casing, wherein the dry cell is electrolyte-free or contains an initial amount of electrolyte less than a final desired amount; (b) injecting a liquid electrolyte into at least a dry cell to form at least a wet cell, wherein the liquid electrolyte comprises a lithium salt dissolved in a first liquid solvent having a first lithium salt concentration from 0.001 M to 3.0 M; (c) removing portion of the liquid solvent from at least a wet cell to obtain at least a lithium cell comprising a quasi-solid electrolyte having a final lithium salt concentration higher than first concentration and higher than 2.0 M; and (d) optionally sealing the protective housing to produce the lithium cell(s).

Abstract: Provided is a polymer hybrid separator for use in a battery, the separator comprising multiple fibers of a first thermally stable polymer (first fibers) and multiple fibers of a second thermally stable polymer (second fibers), which are different in chemical composition or diameter than the first fibers, wherein the first fibers intersect with the second fibers and are bonded by the second fibers at the points of intersection. The thermally stable polymer fibers preferably have a melting point or thermal decomposition temperature higher than 250° C. (preferably >300° C., further preferably >400° C., still further preferably >500° C., and most preferably >600° C.). Also provided are a process for producing such a separator and a lithium or sodium secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, such a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte.

Abstract: Provided is a polymer hybrid separator for use in a battery, the separator comprising multiple fibers of a first thermally stable polymer (first fibers) and multiple fibers of a second thermally stable polymer (second fibers), which are different in chemical composition or diameter than the first fibers, wherein the first fibers intersect with the second fibers and are bonded by the second fibers at the points of intersection. The thermally stable polymer fibers preferably have a melting point or thermal decomposition temperature higher than 250° C. (preferably >300° C., further preferably >400° C., still further preferably >500° C., and most preferably >600° C.). Also provided are a process for producing such a separator and a lithium or sodium secondary battery comprising a cathode, an anode, such a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte.