Organic/inorganic composite porous film and electrochemical device prepared thereby

1. A battery separator comprising an organic/inorganic composite porous film, which comprises a mixture of:

(a) inorganic particles; and

(b) a binder polymer coating layer formed partially or totally on surfaces of the inorganic particles,

wherein

the inorganic particles are interconnected among themselves and are fixed by the binder polymer disposed between the inorganic particles, and

the interconnected inorganic particles define uniformly distributed interstitial volumes wherein the interstitial volumes define a pore structure,

wherein the inorganic particles have a size of between 0.001 μm and 10 μm,

wherein the inorganic particles are present in the mixture of inorganic particles with the binder polymer in an amount of 50-99 wt % based on 100 wt % of the mixture, and

wherein the binder polymer has a solubility parameter of between 15 and 45 MPa 1/2 , and

wherein the organic/inorganic composite porous film is free-standing and a surface of the organic/inorganic composite porous film is macroscopically smooth.

2. The battery separator according to claim 1 , wherein the inorganic particles are at least one selected from the group consisting of: (a) inorganic particles having a dielectric constant of 5 or more; and (b) inorganic particles having lithium ion conductivity.

3. The battery separator according to claim 2 , wherein the inorganic particles (a) having a dielectric constant of 5 or more are BaTiO 3 , Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT), Pb 1-x La x Zr 1-y Ti y O 3 (PLZT), Pb(Mg 3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 —PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT), hafnia (HfO 2 ), SrTiO 3 , SnO 2 , CeO 2 , MgO, NiO, CaO, ZnO, ZrO 2 , Y 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 or SiC.

4. The battery separator according to claim 2 , wherein the inorganic particles (b) having lithium ion conductivity are at least one selected from the group consisting of: lithium phosphate, lithium titanium phosphate, lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LiAlTiP) x O y type glass (0<x<4, 0<y<13), lithium lanthanum titanate, lithium germanium thiophosphate, lithium nitride, SiS 2 type glass and P 2 S 5 type glass.

5. The battery separator according to claim 1 , wherein the binder polymer has a glass transition temperature (T g ) of between −200° C. and 200° C.

6. The battery separator according to claim 1 , wherein the binder polymer is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride-co-trichloroethylene, polymethylmethacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetate, polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate, polyethylene oxide, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cyanoethylpullulan, cyanoethyl polyvinylalcohol, cyanoethylcellulose, cyanoethylsucrose, pullulan, carboxymethyl cellulose, acrylonitrilestyrene-butadiene copolymer and polyimide.

7. The battery separator according to claim 1 , which has a pore size of between 0.001 and 10 μm.

8. The battery separator according to claim 1 , which has a porosity of between 5% and 95%.

9. The battery separator according to claim 1 , which has a thickness of between 1 and 100 μm.

10. An electrochemical device comprising:

(a) a cathode;

(b) an anode;

(c) a separator comprising an organic/inorganic composite porous film, which comprises a mixture of: (i) inorganic particles; and (ii) a binder polymer coating layer formed partially or totally on surfaces of the inorganic particles,

wherein

the inorganic particles are interconnected among themselves and are fixed by the binder polymer disposed between the inorganic particles, and

the interconnected inorganic particles define uniformly distributed interstitial volumes wherein the interstitial volumes define a pore structure,

wherein the inorganic particles have a size of between 0.001 μm and 10 μm,

wherein the inorganic particles are present in the mixture of inorganic particles with the binder polymer in an amount of 50-99 wt % based on 100 wt % of the mixture, and

wherein the binder polymer has a solubility parameter of between 15 and 45 MPa 1/2 , and

wherein the organic/inorganic composite porous film is free-standing, and a surface of the organic/inorganic composite porous film is macroscopically smooth; and

(d) an electrolyte.

11. The electrochemical device according to claim 10 , wherein the inorganic particles are at least one selected from the group consisting of: (a) inorganic particles having a dielectric constant of 5 or more; and (b) inorganic particles having lithium ion conductivity.

12. The electrochemical device according to claim 10 , which is a lithium secondary battery.

13. The electrochemical device according to claim 10 , which further comprises a microporous separator.

14. The electrochemical device according to claim 13 , wherein the microporous separator is a polyolefin-based separator, or at least one porous substrate having a melting point of 200° C. or higher, selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyester, polyacetal, polyamide, polycarbonate, polyimide, polyetherether ketone, polyether sulfone, polyphenylene oxide, polyphenylene sulfide and polyethylene naphthalene.

15. A method for manufacturing an organic/inorganic composite porous film according to claim 1 , which comprises the steps of:

(a) dissolving a binder polymer into a solvent to form a polymer solution;

(b) adding inorganic particles to the polymer solution obtained from step (a) and mixing them; and

(c) coating the mixture of inorganic particles with binder polymer obtained from step (b) on a substrate, followed by drying, and then detaching the substrate.

16. The film according to claim 1 , wherein the binder polymer has a solubility parameter of between 30 and 45 MPa 1/2 .

17. The film according to claim 1 , wherein the binder is disposed between pairs of inorganic particles.

18. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the binder polymer is uniformly distributed throughout the organic/inorganic composite porous film.

19. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic particles comprise lithium.

20. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic particles comprise a lithium-ion conductor.

21. The battery separator of claim 4 , wherein the inorganic particles are at least one selected from the group consisting of: a lithium phosphate of the formula Li 3 PO 4 , a lithium titanium phosphate of the formula Li x Ti y (PO 4 ) 3 wherein 0<x<2 and 0<y<3, a lithium aluminum titanium phosphate of the formula Li x Al y Ti z (PO 4 ) 3 wherein 0<x<2, 0<y<1, and 0<z<3, a (LiAlTiP) x O y type glass wherein 0<x<4 and 0<y<13, lithium lanthanum titanate, Li x La y TiO 3 wherein 0<x<2 and 0<y<3, a lithium germanium thiophosphate of the formula Li x Ge y P z S w wherein 0<x<4, 0<y<1, 0<z<1, and 0<w<5, a lithium nitride of the formula Li x N y wherein 0<x<4 and 0<y<2, a SiS 2 type glass of the formula Li x Si y S z wherein 0<x<3, 0<y<2, and 0<z<4, and a P 2 S 5 type glass of the formula Li x P y S z wherein 0<x<3, 0<y<3, and 0<z<7.

22. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the binder polymer coated inorganic particles contact each other.

23. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein the inorganic particles are adjacent to each other.

24. The battery separator of claim 1 , further comprising a porous substrate, wherein the organic/inorganic composite film is on the porous substrate.

25. The battery separator of claim 1 , wherein a packing density of the inorganic particles is greater than a packing density of the binder polymer.