Lithium—sulfur battery with a substantially non-porous lisicon membrane and porous lisicon layer
View Patent ↗A lithium-sulfur battery is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including an anode containing lithium and a cathode comprising elemental sulfur. The cathode may include at least one solvent selected to at least partially dissolve the elemental sulfur and Li2S x . A substantially non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane is provided between the anode and the cathode to keep sulfur or other reactive species from migrating therebetween. In certain embodiments, the lithium-sulfur battery may include a separator between the anode and the non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane. This separator may prevent the lithium in the anode from reacting with the non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane. In certain embodiments, the separator is a porous separator infiltrated with a lithium-ion-conductive electrolyte.
1. A lithium-sulfur battery comprising:
an anode containing lithium;
a cathode consisting of elemental sulfur, Li 2 S x and at least one solvent selected to at least partially dissolve the elemental sulfur and Li 2 S x ;
a substantially non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane separating the anode from the cathode, wherein the substantially non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane comprises a LISICON membrane; and
a porous structural layer attached to at least one side of the substantially non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane to provide support thereto, wherein the porous structural layer is a porous LISICON layer, wherein the porous structural layer directly contacts a portion of the anode.
2. The lithium-sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent consists of at least one polar solvent to at least partially dissolve the elemental sulfur and the Li 2 S x .
3. The lithium-sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent consists of an apolar solvent to dissolve the elemental sulfur and a polar solvent to dissolve the Li 2 S x .
4. The lithium-sulfur battery of claim 1 , wherein the at least one solvent consists of tetraglyme.
5. A lithium-sulfur battery comprising:
an anode containing lithium;
a cathode consisting of elemental sulfur, Li 2 S x and at least one solvent selected to at least partially dissolve the elemental sulfur and Li 2 S x ;
a substantially non-porous LISICON membrane separating the anode from the cathode, wherein the LISICON membrane is treated with a sealer to fill any pores thereof; and
a porous structural layer attached to at least one side of the substantially non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane to provide support thereto, wherein the porous structural layer is porous LISICON layer, wherein the porous structural layer directly contacts a portion of the anode.
6. A method comprising:
generating lithium ions at a lithium-containing anode;
transporting the lithium ions through a substantially non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane to a cathode, wherein the substantially non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane comprises a LISICON membrane;
supporting the substantially non-porous lithium-ion-conductive membrane with a porous structural layer, wherein the porous structural layer is a porous LISICON layer, wherein the porous structural layer directly contacts a portion of the lithium-containing anode; and
reacting the lithium ions with elemental sulfur at the cathode to generate Li 2 S x , wherein the elemental sulfur and Li 2 S x at least partially dissolve in at least one solvent in the cathode, wherein the cathode consists of the elemental sulfur, the Li 2 S x and the at least one solvent selected to at least partially dissolve the elemental sulfur and Li 2 S x .
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising filling any pores of the LISICON membrane with a sealer.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one solvent consists of at least one polar solvent to at least partially dissolve the elemental sulfur and the Li 2 S x .
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one solvent consists of an apolar solvent to dissolve the elemental sulfur and a polar solvent to dissolve the Li 2 S x .
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one solvent consists of tetraglyme.