US 11,721,831 B2
Electrolyte or electrode additives for increasing metal content in metal-ion batteries
Gleb Yushin, Atlanta, GA (US); Bogdan Zdyrko, Atlanta, GA (US); Alexander Thomas Jacobs, Atlanta, GA (US); and Eugene Michael Berdichevsky, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc., Alameda, CA (US)
Filed by Sila Nanotechnologies Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on Aug. 21, 2014, as Appl. No. 14/464,873.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/872,509, filed on Aug. 30, 2013.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/902,167, filed on Nov. 9, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2015/0064568 A1, Mar. 5, 2015
Int. Cl. H01M 10/0525 (2010.01); H01M 10/054 (2010.01); H01M 10/44 (2006.01); H01M 10/42 (2006.01); H01M 50/691 (2021.01)
CPC H01M 10/0525 (2013.01) [H01M 10/054 (2013.01); H01M 10/4235 (2013.01); H01M 10/446 (2013.01); H01M 50/691 (2021.01); Y02T 10/70 (2013.01); Y10T 29/49108 (2015.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of fabricating a metal-ion battery cell comprising anode and cathode electrodes, a separator, and an electrolyte, the method comprising:
electrically connecting anode active material particles with an anode current collector to produce the anode electrode, wherein the anode active material particles are capable of storing and releasing metal ions during battery operation;
electrically connecting cathode active material particles with a cathode current collector to produce the cathode electrode, wherein the cathode active material particles are capable of storing and releasing the metal ions during battery operation;
electrically separating the anode and cathode electrodes via the separator;
incorporating a metal-ion additive into the electrolyte, wherein the metal-ion additive provides additional donor ions corresponding to the metal ions capable of being stored and released by the anode and cathode active material particles;
assembling the metal-ion battery cell from the anode and cathode electrodes and the separator;
filling, after the assembling, the metal-ion battery cell with the electrolyte,
wherein the electrolyte comprises a primary salt, and
wherein the metal-ion additive comprises a sacrificial salt that is separate from the primary salt; and
applying an activation potential to the anode or cathode electrodes to induce decomposition or dissolution of the sacrificial salt to release the additional donor ions to at least one of the electrodes, and
wherein the primary salt is protected against decomposition from the applied potential, and
wherein the sacrificial salt is incorporated into the electrolyte.