Abstract: Systems and methods for an ultra-high voltage cobalt-free cathode for alkali ion batteries may include an anode, a cathode, and a separator, with the cathode comprising an active material ANi(1-x)MnxSbOy, where x is a number between 0.0 and 1.0, y is an integer, and A comprises one or more of lithium, sodium, and potassium. The anode may include one or more of an alkali metal, silicon, and carbon. In one example, x is a value in the range between 0.05 and 0.9 and y is a value in the range between 1 and 8 where a specific capacity of the active material is greater than 50 milliamp-hours per gram. In another example, x is a value in the range between 0.4 and 0.6 and y is a value in the range between 1 and 8, where a specific capacity of the active material is greater than 70 milliamp-hours per gram.

Abstract: Systems and methods for thermal gradient during electrode pyrolysis may include fabricating the battery electrode by pyrolyzing an active material on a metal current collector, wherein the active material comprises silicon particles in a binder material, the binder material being pyrolyzed such that a resistance at an inner surface of the active material in contact with the current collector is at least 50% higher than a resistance at an outer surface of the active material. The active material may be pyrolyzed by electromagnetic radiation, which may be provided by one or more lasers, which may include one or more CO2 lasers. The electromagnetic radiation may be provided by one or more infrared lamps. An outer edge of the current collector may be gripped using a thermal transfer block that removes heat from the current collector during pyrolysis of the active material and subsequent cool down.

Abstract: Systems and methods for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes using particle size may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by utilizing a predetermined particle size distribution of silicon particles in the active material. The expansion of the anode may be greater for smaller particle size distributions, which may range from 1 to 10 ?m. The expansion of the anode may be smaller for a rougher surface active material, which may be configured by utilizing larger particle size distributions that may range from 5 to 25 ?m. The expansion may be configured to be more anisotropic using more rigid materials for the current collector, where a more rigid current collector may comprise nickel and a less rigid current collector may comprise copper.

Abstract: Systems and methods for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes using particle size may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by utilizing a predetermined particle size distribution of silicon particles in the active material. The expansion of the anode may be greater for smaller particle size distributions, which may range from 1 to 10 ?m. The expansion of the anode may be smaller for a rougher surface active material, which may be configured by utilizing larger particle size distributions that may range from 5 to 25 ?m. The expansion may be configured to be more anisotropic using more rigid materials for the current collector, where a more rigid current collector may comprise nickel and a less rigid current collector may comprise copper.

Abstract: Systems and methods for thermal gradient during electrode pyrolysis may include fabricating the battery electrode by pyrolyzing an active material on a metal current collector, wherein the active material comprises silicon particles in a binder material, the binder material being pyrolyzed such that a resistance at an inner surface of the active material in contact with the current collector is at least 50% higher than a resistance at an outer surface of the active material. The active material may be pyrolyzed by electromagnetic radiation, which may be provided by one or more lasers, which may include one or more CO2 lasers. The electromagnetic radiation may be provided by one or more infrared lamps. An outer edge of the current collector may be gripped using a thermal transfer block that removes heat from the current collector during pyrolysis of the active material and subsequent cool down.

Abstract: Systems and methods for use of silicon with impurities in silicon-dominant anode cells may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode including an active material, where the anode active material includes silicon, and where an impurity level of the silicon may be more than 400 ppm. The impurity level of the silicon is more than 600 ppm. The impurity level may be for elements with an atomic number between 2 and 42. The silicon may have a purity of 99.90% or less. A resistance of the silicon when pressed into a 4 mm thick and 15 mm diameter pellet may be 25 k? or less. The active material may include silicon, carbon, and a pyrolyzed polymer on a metal current collector. The metal current collector may include a copper or nickel foil in electrical contact with the active material. The active material may include more than 50% silicon.

Abstract: Systems and methods for thermal gradient during electrode pyrolysis may include fabricating the battery electrode by pyrolyzing an active material on a metal current collector, wherein the active material comprises silicon particles in a binder material, the binder material being pyrolyzed such that a resistance at an inner surface of the active material in contact with the current collector is at least 50% higher than a resistance at an outer surface of the active material. The active material may be pyrolyzed by electromagnetic radiation, which may be provided by one or more lasers, which may include one or more CO2 lasers. The electromagnetic radiation may be provided by one or more infrared lamps. An outer edge of the current collector may be gripped using a thermal transfer block that removes heat from the current collector during pyrolysis of the active material and subsequent cool down.

Abstract: Systems and methods for use of silicon with impurities in silicon-dominant anode cells may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode including an active material, where the anode active material includes silicon, and where an impurity level of the silicon may be more than 400 ppm. The impurity level of the silicon is more than 600 ppm. The impurity level may be for elements with an atomic number between 2 and 42. The silicon may have a purity of 99.90% or less. A resistance of the silicon when pressed into a 4 mm thick and 15 mm diameter pellet may be 25 k? or less. The active material may include silicon, carbon, and a pyrolyzed polymer on a metal current collector. The metal current collector may include a copper or nickel foil in electrical contact with the active material. The active material may include more than 50% silicon.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for synthesizing solid-state polymer electrolyte and/or using solid-state polymer electrolyte in production of all-solid-state alkali-ion batteries.

Abstract: Systems and methods for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes using particle size may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode during operation may be configured by utilizing a predetermined particle size distribution of silicon particles in the active material. The expansion of the anode may be greater for smaller particle size distributions, which may range from 1 to 10 ?m. The expansion of the anode may be smaller for a rougher surface active material, which may be configured by utilizing larger particle size distributions that may range from 5 to 25 ?m. The expansion may be configured to be more anisotropic using more rigid materials for the current collector, where a more rigid current collector may comprise nickel and a less rigid current collector may comprise copper.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for carbon additives for direct coating of silicon-dominant anodes. An example composition for use in directly coated anodes may include a silicon-dominated anode active material, a carbon-based binder, and a carbon-based additive, with the composition being configured for low-temperature pyrolysis. The low-temperature pyrolysis may be conducted at <850° C. An anode may be formed using a direct coating process of the composition on a current collector. The anode active material may yield silicon constituting between 90% and 95% of weight of the formed anode after pyrolysis. The carbon-based additive may yield carbon constituting between 2% and 6% of weight of the formed anode after pyrolysis. The carbon-based additive may include carbon particles with surface area >65 m2/g.

Abstract: Systems and methods for high speed formation of cells for configuring anisotropic expansion of silicon-dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode, where the anode may include a current collector and an active material on the current collector. An expansion of the anode may be configured by a charge rate during formation of the battery. The expansion of the anode may be less than 1.5% in lateral dimensions of the anode for higher charge rates during formation with the active material being more than 50% silicon, where the higher charge rate may be 1 C or higher, and perpendicular expansion may be higher for charge rates below 1 C during formation. The expansion of the anode may be lower in lateral dimensions for thicker current collectors, which may be 10 ?m or thicker, and may be lower in lateral dimensions for more rigid materials for the current collector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for thermal gradient during electrode pyrolysis may include fabricating the battery electrode by pyrolyzing an active material on a metal current collector, wherein the active material comprises silicon particles in a binder material, the binder material being pyrolyzed such that a resistance at an inner surface of the active material in contact with the current collector is at least 50% higher than a resistance at an outer surface of the active material. The active material may be pyrolyzed by electromagnetic radiation, which may be provided by one or more lasers, which may include one or more CO2 lasers. The electromagnetic radiation may be provided by one or more infrared lamps. An outer edge of the current collector may be gripped using a thermal transfer block that removes heat from the current collector during pyrolysis of the active material and subsequent cool down.

Abstract: Systems and methods for use of silicon with impurities in silicon-dominant anode cells may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode including an active material, where the anode active material includes silicon, and where an impurity level of the silicon may be more than 400 ppm. The impurity level of the silicon is more than 600 ppm. The impurity level may be for elements with an atomic number between 2 and 42. The silicon may have a purity of 99.90% or less. A resistance of the silicon when pressed into a 4 mm thick and 15 mm diameter pellet may be 25 k? or less. The active material may include silicon, carbon, and a pyrolyzed polymer on a metal current collector. The metal current collector may include a copper or nickel foil in electrical contact with the active material. The active material may include more than 50% silicon.

Abstract: Systems and methods for carbon compositions as conductive additives for silicon dominant anodes may include a cathode, an electrolyte, and an anode active material. The active material may include 0D conductive carbon particles with nanoscale structure in three dimensions, 1D conductive carbon particles with nanoscale structure in two dimensions, and 2D conductive carbon particles with nanoscale structure in one dimension. The carbon particles may be between 1% and 40% of the active material. The anode active material may comprise between 20% to 95% silicon or between 50% to 95% silicon. The 0D conductive carbon particles may have a diameter of 50 nm or less. The 1D conductive carbon particles may comprise nanotubes, nanofibers, and/or vapor grown fibers. The 1D conductive carbon particles may have an aspect ratio of 20 or greater. The 2D conductive carbon particles may have a length in each of two dimensions between 1 and 30 ?m.

Abstract: Systems and methods for an ultra-high voltage cobalt-free cathode for alkali ion batteries may include an anode, a cathode, and a separator, with the cathode comprising an active material ANi(1-x)MnxSbOy, where x is a number between 0.0 and 1.0, y is an integer, and A comprises one or more of lithium, sodium, and potassium. The anode may include one or more of an alkali metal, silicon, and carbon. In one example, x is a value in the range between 0.05 and 0.9 and y is a value in the range between 1 and 8 where a specific capacity of the active material is greater than 50 milliamp-hours per gram. In another example, x is a value in the range between 0.4 and 0.6 and y is a value in the range between 1 and 8, where a specific capacity of the active material is greater than 70 milliamp-hours per gram.

Abstract: Systems and methods for thermal gradient during electrode pyrolysis may include fabricating the battery electrode by pyrolyzing an active material on a metal current collector, wherein the active material comprises silicon particles in a binder material, the binder material being pyrolyzed more than 75% at an outer surface and less than 50% at an inner surface in contact with the current collector. The active material may be pyrolyzed by electromagnetic radiation, which may be provided by one or more lasers, which may include one or more CO2 lasers. The electromagnetic radiation may be provided by one or more infrared lamps. An outer edge of the current collector may be gripped using a thermal transfer block that removes heat from the current collector during pyrolysis of the active material and subsequent cool down. Heat transfer plates may be placed on or adjacent to the active material during pyrolysis.