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: 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 methods of compensation for capacity loss resulting from cycle-induced lithium consumption in an electrochemical cell including at least one electrode. Such methods may include adding a lithiation additive to the at least one electrode so as to create a lithium source. The lithium source compensates for cycle-induced lithiation loss such that the electrochemical cell having the lithiation additive experiences total capacity losses of less than or equal to about 5% of an initial capacity prior to cycling of lithium. The lithiation additive includes a lithium silicate represented by the formula LiuHr, where Hr=Liy-uSiOz and where 0?y?3.75 and 0?z?2 and u is a useable portion of y, 0?u?y. The lithium source may include z 4 ? L ? i 4 ? Si ? O 4 and LimSi, where 0?m?4.4.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for forming a prelithiated, layered anode material. The method includes contacting a precursor material and an electrolyte that includes one or more lithium salts and one or more solvents. The electrolyte may have a molarity greater than or equal to about 0.1 M to less than or equal to a solubility limit of the one or more lithium salts in the one or more solvents. The precursor material may be a three-dimensional layered material and the contacting of the precursor material and the electrolyte causes removal of cations from the precursor material and introduction of lithium ions from the electrolyte into interlayer spaces or voids created by the removal of the cations to form the prelithiated, layered anode material.

Abstract: Systems, methods and compositions to produce fine powders are described. These include forming a hypereutectic melt including a target material, a sacrificial-matrix material, and an impurity, rapidly cooling the hypereutectic melt to form a hypereutectic alloy having a first phase and a second phase, annealing the hypereutectic alloy to alter a morphology of the target material to thereby produce target particles, and removing the sacrificial matrix to thereby produce a fine powder of the target particles. The first phase is defined by the target material and the second phase is defined by the sacrificial-matrix material. The sacrificial-matrix material forms a sacrificial matrix having the target material dispersed therethrough.

Abstract: Presented are control systems for operating rechargeable electrochemical devices, methods for making/using such systems, and motor vehicles with intelligent battery pack charging and charging behavior feedback capabilities. A method of operating a rechargeable battery includes an electronic controller receiving battery data from a battery sensing device indicative of a battery state of charge (SOC). Using this battery data, the controller determines a number of low SOC excursions at which the battery SOC is below a predefined low SOC threshold and a number of high SOC excursions at which the battery SOC exceeds a predefined high SOC threshold. The controller then determines if the number of low SOC excursions exceeds a predefined maximum allowable low excursions and/or the number of high SOC excursions exceeds a predefined maximum allowable high excursions. If so, the controller responsively commands a resident subsystem to execute a control operation that mitigates degradation of the rechargeable battery.

Abstract: A method of making a negative electrode material for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions is provided that includes centrifugally distributing a molten precursor comprising silicon and lithium by contacting the molten precursor with a rotating surface in a centrifugal atomizing reactor. The molten precursor is solidified to form a plurality of substantially round solid electroactive particles comprising an alloy of lithium and silicon and having a D50 diameter of less than or equal to about 20 micrometers. In certain variations, the negative electroactive material particles may further have one or more coatings disposed thereon, such as a carbonaceous coating and/or an oxide-based coating.

Abstract: A bipolar battery may comprise first, second, and third bipolar electrodes that are physically and electrically isolated from one another by intervening non-liquid electrolyte layers. Each of the bipolar electrodes may comprise a bipolar current collector including a first electroactive material layer connected to a first side thereof and a second electroactive material layer connected to a second side thereof. Each electroactive material layer may comprise at least one of: (i) a lithium ion battery positive electrode material, (ii) a lithium ion battery negative electrode material, and/or (iii) a capacitor electrode material. At least one of the electroactive material layers comprises a capacitor electrode material.

Abstract: A monitoring assembly for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium battery includes a porous sensory structure and a transducer. The porous sensory structure includes a sensory layer disposed on a major surface of a porous separator and a buffer layer disposed between the sensory layer and a facing surface of a negative electrode layer. The buffer layer electrically isolates the sensory layer from the facing surface of the negative electrode layer. The sensory layer includes an electrically conductive material and is configured to produce a response to an input signal or to a physical stimulus received within the electrochemical cell. The transducer is configured to process the response produced by the sensory layer to generate an output signal indicative of a diagnostic condition within the electrochemical cell.

Abstract: An electrochemical device according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes an electrochemical cell and an inductor coil. The electrochemical cell includes a current collector. the current collector includes an electrically-conductive material. The inductor coil is configured to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field is configured to induce an eddy current in the current collector to generate heat in the current collector. In various aspects, the present disclosure also provides a method of internally heating an electrochemical cell. In various aspects, the present disclosure also provides a method of controlling heating of an electrochemical cell.

Abstract: A reference electrode assembly for an electrochemical cell of a secondary lithium ion battery and methods of manufacturing the same. The reference electrode assembly includes a porous membrane having a major surface and a porous reference structure deposited on the major surface of the porous membrane. The porous reference structure includes a porous carbon layer and a porous reference electrode layer that at least partially overlaps the porous carbon layer on the major surface of the porous membrane.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to high capacity (e.g., areal capacity greater than about 4 mAh/cm2 to less than or equal to about 50 mAh/cm2) electrodes for electrochemical cells. An example electrode may include a current collector (e.g., meshed current collector) and one or more electroactive material layers having thicknesses greater than about 150 ?m to less than or equal to about 5 mm. The electroactive material layers may each include lithium manganese iron phosphate (LiMnxFe1-xPO4, where 0?x?1) (LMFP). The electrode may further include one or more electronically conductive adhesive layers disposed between the current collector and the electroactive material layers. The adhesive layers may include one or more polymer components and one or more conductive fillers. The electroactive material layers may be gradient layers, where sublayers closer to the current collector has a lower porosity than layers further from the current collector.

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: The present disclosure relates to electroactive materials for use in electrodes of lithium-ion electrochemical cells and methods of making the same, for example, methods for lithiating electroactive materials. A method of lithiating an electroactive material may include dispersing an electroactive material precursor within a room-temperature electrolyte that includes a lithium-based salt and contacting the electrolyte mixture and a lithium source so as to cause the lithium source to ionize and form lithium ions. The lithium ions may react with the electroactive material precursor to form a fully lithiated electroactive material (e.g., greater than 70% of total lithiation). The method further includes, in certain aspects, electrochemically discharging the fully lithiated electroactive material to form a lithiated electroactive material having an optimized lithiation state (e.g., less than or equal to about 40% of a first lithiation state of the fully lithiated electroactive material).

Abstract: Methods for fabricating electrodes include coating a current collector with a slurry to form a coated current collector. The slurry includes a dry fraction, including silicon particles, polymeric binders, and one or more types of naturally occurring carbonaceous filaments, and one or more solvents. The coated current collector is heat treated to produce the electrode having a layer of silicon-based host material. The one or more naturally occurring carbonaceous filaments can include animal fibers, chitin, alginate, cellulose, keratin, and chitosan, and can have an average length of 1 ?m to 50 ?m and an average diameter of 1 nm to 500 nm. The dry fraction can include 5 wt. % to 95 wt. % silicon particles, 0.1 wt. % to 15 wt. % polymeric binders, and 1 wt. % to 20 wt. % naturally occurring carbonaceous filaments. The method can include assembling a battery cell by disposing the electrode and a positive electrode in electrolyte.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method comprising disposing a slurry comprising an organic binder, an optional conductive filler, an optional solvent and an active material on a current collector; wherein the active material comprises a labile metal ion; removing the optional solvent to form a dry electrode; firing the dry electrode at a temperature of at least 200° C.; and carbonizing the organic binder to form a carbonized layer.

Abstract: A bipolar capacitor-assisted solid-state battery is disclosed that includes a plurality of electrochemical battery unit cells, each of which includes a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and a lithium ion-conductive electrolyte-containing separator disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode. The lithium ion-conductive electrolyte-containing separator of each electrochemical battery unit cell comprises a solid-state electrolyte material, and, additionally, at least one negative electrode of the electrochemical battery unit cells or at least one positive electrode of the electrochemical battery unit cells includes a capacitor material. The bipolar capacitor-assisted solid-state battery further includes a bipolar current collector disposed between a negative electrode of one electrochemical battery unit cell and a positive electrode of an adjacent electrochemical battery unit cell.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell is provided herein as well as methods for preparing electrochemical cells. The electrochemical cell includes a negative electrode and a positive electrode. The negative electrode includes a prelithiated electroactive material including a lithium silicide. Lithium is present in the prelithiated electroactive material in an amount corresponding to greater than or equal to about 10% of a state of charge of the negative electrode. The electrochemical cell has a negative electrode capacity to positive electrode capacity for lithium (N/P) ratio of greater than or equal to about 1, and the electrochemical cell is capable of operating at an operating voltage of less than or equal to about 5 volts.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a negative electrode material and methods of preparation and use relating thereto. The electrode material comprises a plurality of electroactive material particles, where each electroactive material particle includes an electroactive material core and an electronically conductive coating. The method includes contacting an electroactive material precursor including a plurality of electroactive material particles with a solution so as to form an electronically conductive coating on each of the electroactive material particles. The solution includes a solvent and one or more of copper fluoride (CuF2), titanium tetrafluoride (TiF3 or TiF4), iron fluoride (FeF3), nickel fluoride (NiF2), manganese fluoride (MnF2, MnF3, or MnF4), and vanadium fluoride (VF3, VF4, VF5). The electronically conductive coating includes a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions. The plurality of first regions include lithium fluoride.