Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for preparing an electroactive material for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions. The method includes immersing a plurality of electroactive material particles in an aqueous solution and adding one or more fluorinated lithium salts to the aqueous solution to form a protective particle coating on each of the electroactive material particles of the plurality of electroactive material particles, where the plurality of electroactive material particles defines the electroactive material. The protective particle coatings are continuous coatings that cover greater than or equal to about 95% of a total exposed surface area of each electroactive material particle of the plurality of electroactive material particles.

Abstract: An electrode assembly that includes a current collector, a lithium foil, and a solid solution interface that chemically binds the current collector and the lithium foil is provided. The solid solution interface includes a portion of the current collector that is impregnated with lithium atoms diffused from the lithium foil. In some variations, a method for forming the electrode assembly includes heating a precursor electrode assembly that includes a current collector and a lithium metal film to a temperature that is less than a melting point of lithium, so that lithium atoms diffuse into the current collector during the heating. In other variations, a method for forming the electrode assembly includes disposing a molten lithium onto a heated current collector to form a precursor electrode assembly, and cooling the assembly to form a lithium metal layer that is chemically bonded to the current collector.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method for forming a pre-lithiated layered anode material. The method includes removing cations from a precursor material including a layered ionic compound to form creates a two-dimensional structure that defines a layered anode material. The method further includes inserting lithium ions using an anion insertion wet-chemical process into the layered anode materials to form the pre-lithiated layered anode material. The anion insertion wet-chemical process can be the same as or different form the cation extraction wet-chemical process. In each instance, the precursor material is be represented by MX2, where M is one of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and X is one of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and boron (B) and the precursor material has alternating layers of M and X.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a lithiophilic-supported current collector for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions. The lithiophilic-supported current collector includes a current collector substrate and a lithiophilic material. The lithiophilic material includes an element selected from the group consisting of: indium, lead, bismuth, gold, and combinations thereof. In certain variations, the lithiophilic material defines a lithiophilic layer disposed on or adjacent to one or more surfaces of the current collector substrate. In other variations, the current collector substrate has one or more porous surfaces and the lithiophilic material coats the one or more porous surfaces.

Abstract: This invention relates to materials for the negative electrode in non-aqueous rechargeable alkali-ion batteries in free-standing form. In particular, this invention relates to the use of metal ribbon that is produced by melt spinning directly as a battery electrode. The invention also relates to a method producing a highly dispersed, multiphase composite material in a single step, as well as a way to generate porosity while maintaining the ‘binder-free’ and ‘additive-free’ characterization of the electrode.