Hybrid anode compositions for lithium ion batteries

1. An exfoliated graphite-based hybrid composition for use as an electrochemical cell electrode, said composition comprising:

a) micron- or nanometer-scaled particles or coating which are capable of absorbing and desorbing at least one of alkali or alkaline metal ions wherein said particles have a dimension less than 5 μm or said coating has a thickness less than 5 μm; and

b) exfoliated graphite worms that are substantially interconnected to form a porous, conductive graphite network comprising pores, wherein at least one of said particles or coating resides in a pore of said network or attached to a worm of said network and the exfoliated graphite worm amount is in the range of 5% to 90% by weight and the amount of particles or coating is in the range of 95% to 10% by weight;

wherein the particles or coating comprises an active material selected from the group consisting of:

(i) silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), and cadmium (Cd);

(ii) alloys or intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, or Cd with other elements, wherein said alloys or compounds are stoichiometric or non-stoichiometric;

(iii) oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Fe, or Cd, and their mixtures or composites;

(iv) salts and hydroxides of Sn; and

(v) combinations thereof; and wherein the composition provides a specific capacity of no less than 1,000 mAh per gram.

2. The hybrid composition of claim 1 wherein said exfoliated graphite worms are obtained from intercalation and exfoliation of a laminar graphite material selected from natural graphite, synthetic graphite, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, graphite fiber, carbon fiber, carbon nano-fiber, graphitic nano-fiber, spherical graphite or graphite globule, meso-phase micro-bead, meso-phase pitch, graphitic coke, graphitized polymeric carbon, or a combination thereof.

3. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 1 wherein said graphite worms have a specific surface area greater than about 100 m 2 /gm or said exfoliated graphite worms have an average thickness thinner than 10 nm.

4. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 1 wherein said graphite worms have a specific surface area greater than about 500 m 2 /gm or said exfoliated graphite worms have an average thickness thinner than 2 nm.

5. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 1 wherein said alkali or alkaline metal ions comprise lithium ions.

6. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the particles or coating comprise Sn or Si as a primary element with Si or Sn content no less than 20% by weight based on the total weight of the particles or coating and exfoliated graphite.

7. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the particles comprise an element selected from Si, Ge, Sn, Cd, Sb, Pb, Bi, or Zn.

8. An exfoliated graphite-based hybrid composition for use as an electrochemical cell electrode, said composition comprising:

a) micron- or nanometer-scaled particles or coating which are capable of absorbing and desorbing at least one of alkali or alkaline metal ions wherein the particles or coating are amorphous or comprise nano crystallites wherein said particles have a dimension less than 5 μm or said coating has a thickness less than 5 μm;

b) exfoliated graphite worms that are substantially interconnected to form a porous, conductive graphite network comprising pores, wherein at least one of said particles or coating resides in a pore of said network or attached to a worm of said network and the exfoliated graphite worm amount is in the range of 5% to 90% by weight and the amount of particles or coating is in the range of 95% to 10% by weight;

wherein the particles or coating comprises an active material selected from the group consisting of:

(i) silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), and cadmium (Cd);

(ii) alloys or intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, or Cd with other elements, wherein said alloys or compounds are stoichiometric or non-stoichiometric;

(iii) oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Fe, or Cd, and their mixtures or composites;

(iv) salts and hydroxides of Sn; and

(v) combinations thereof and wherein the composition provides a specific capacity of no less than 1,000 mAh per gram.

9. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 1 further comprising an amorphous carbon, polymeric carbon, carbon black, coal tar pitch, petroleum pitch, or meso-phase pitch in physical contact with said particles or coating.

10. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 9 wherein said composition further comprises a polymeric carbon and the polymeric carbon is obtained from pyrolyzation of a polymer selected from the group consisting of phenolformaldehyde, polyacrylonitrile, styrene DVB, cellulosic polymers, and epoxy resins.

11. The hybrid composition of claim 9 wherein said composition further comprises a an amorphous carbon and said amorphous carbon phase is obtained from chemical vapor deposition, chemical vapor infiltration, or pyrolyzation of an organic precursor.

12. A lithium secondary battery comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode comprising a hybrid composition which is capable of absorbing and desorbing lithium ions, and a non-aqueous electrolyte disposed between said negative electrode and said positive electrode; wherein said hybrid composition provides a specific capacity of no less than 1,000 mAh per gram of the negative electrode; said composition comprising:

a) micron- or nanometer-scaled particles or coating which are capable of absorbing and desorbing at least one of alkali or alkaline metal ions wherein said particles have a dimension less than 5 μm or said coating has a thickness less than 5 μm; and

b) exfoliated graphite worms that are substantially interconnected to form a porous, conductive graphite network comprising pores, wherein at least one of said particles or coating resides in a pore of said network or attached to a worm of said network and the exfoliated graphite worm amount is in the range of 5% to 90% by weight and the amount of particles or coating is in the range of 95% to 10% by weight;

wherein the particles or coating comprises an active material selected from the group consisting of:

(i) silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), and cadmium (Cd);

(ii) alloys or intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, or Cd with other elements, wherein said alloys or compounds are stoichiometric or non-stoichiometric;

(iii) oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Fe, or Cd, and their mixtures or composites;

(iv) salts and hydroxides of Sn; and

(v) combinations thereof.

13. The lithium secondary battery according to claim 12 , wherein said positive electrode comprises lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel oxide, lithium manganese oxide, lithium iron phosphate, lithium vanadium phosphate, or a combination thereof.

14. The lithium secondary battery as defined in claim 12 , wherein said hybrid composition further comprises a binder material selected from a polymer, coal tar pitch, petroleum pitch, meso-phase pitch, coke, or a derivative thereof.

15. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 8 wherein said graphite worms have a specific surface area greater than about 100 m 2 /gm or said exfoliated graphite worms have an average thickness thinner than 10 nm.

16. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 8 wherein said graphite worms have a specific surface area greater than about 500 m 2 /gm or said exfoliated graphite worms have an average thickness thinner than 2 nm.

17. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 8 wherein said alkali or alkaline metal ions comprise lithium ions.

18. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the particles or coating comprise Sn or Si as a primary element with Si or Sn content no less than 20% by weight based on the total weight of the particles or coating and exfoliated graphite.

19. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 8 wherein the particles comprise an element selected from Si, Ge, Sn, Cd, Sb, Pb, Bi, or Zn.

20. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 8 further comprising an amorphous carbon, polymeric carbon, carbon black, coal tar pitch, petroleum pitch, or meso-phase pitch in physical contact with said particles or coating.

21. The hybrid composition as defined in claim 20 wherein said composition further comprises a polymeric carbon and the polymeric carbon is obtained from pyrolyzation of a polymer selected from the group consisting of phenolformaldehyde, polyacrylonitrile, styrene DVB, cellulosic polymers, and epoxy resins.

22. The hybrid composition of claim 20 wherein said said composition further comprises an amorphous carbon and the amorphous carbon phase is obtained from chemical vapor deposition, chemical vapor infiltration, or pyrolyzation of an organic precursor.