Polyvinylpyridine additives for nonaqueous electrolytes activating lithium rechargeable electrochemical cells

1. An electrolyte for an electrochemical cell, the electrolyte comprising:

a) a linear carbonate mixture of dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC), wherein by volume percent, DMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 75%; EMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 50%; and DEC is in the range of from about 3% to about 45%;

b) ethylene carbonate (EC) as a cyclic carbonate, wherein the EC is in the range of from about 10% to about 50% by volume percent;

c) a lithium salt; and

d) poly(2-vinylpyridine) at a concentration of from about 0.05 to less than 1.0 weight percent.

2. The electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the poly(2-vinylpyridine) comprises a molecular weight of 5,000.

3. The electrolyte of claim 1 wherein the lithium salt is selected from the group consisting of LiPF 6 , LiBF 4 , LiAsF 6 , LiSbF 6 , LiClO 4 , LiAlCl 4 , LiGaCl 4 , LiC(SO 2 CF 3 ) 3 , LiNO 3 , LiN(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 , LiSCN, LiO 3 SCF 2 CF 3 , LiC 6 F 5 SO 3 , LiO 2 CCF 3 , LiSO 3 F, LiB(C 6 H 5 ) 4 , LiCF 3 SO 3 , and mixtures thereof.

4. The electrolyte of claim 1 further comprising an additional additive selected from the group consisting of vinylene carbonate, fluorinated ethylene carbonate, biphenyl, substituted biphenyls, cyclohexyl benzene, and combinations thereof.

5. The electrolyte of claim 1 not including a biphenyl compound.

6. An electrochemical cell comprising:

a) a negative electrode comprising an anode active material which intercalates with lithium;

b) a positive electrode comprising a cathode active material which intercalates with lithium;

c) a separator intermediate the negative and positive electrodes to thereby prevent the electrodes from direct physical contact with each other; and

d) an electrolyte activating the negative and positive electrodes, the electrolyte comprising:

i) a linear carbonate mixture of dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC), wherein by volume percent, DMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 75%; EMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 50%; and DEC is in the range of from about 3% to about 45%;

ii) ethylene carbonate (EC) as a cyclic carbonate, wherein the EC is in the range of from about 10% to about 50% by volume percent;

iii) a lithium salt; and

iv) poly(2-vinylpyridine) at a concentration of from about 0.05 to less than 1.0 weight percent.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the poly(2-vinylpyridine) comprises a molecular weight of 5,000.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the lithium salt is selected from the group consisting of LiPF 6 , LiBF 4 , LiAsF 6 , LiSbF 6 , LiClO 4 , LiAlCl 4 , LiGaCl 4 , LiC(SO 2 CF 3 ) 3 , LiNO 3 , LiN(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 , LiSCN, LiO 3 SCF 2 CF 3 , LiC 6 F 5 SO 3 , LiO 2 CCF 3 , LiSO 3 F, LiB(C 6 H 5 ) 4 , LiCF 3 SO 3 , and mixtures thereof.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 not including a biphenyl compound.

10. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the anode active material comprises a carbonaceous material selected from coke, graphite, acetylene black, carbon black, glassy carbon, carbon nanotubes, and meso-carbon microbeads.

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 10 wherein the carbonaceous material is fibrous.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the negative electrode comprises from about 90 to 97 weight percent graphite mixed with from about 3 to 10 weight percent of a fluoro-resin hinder.

13. The electrochemical cell of claim 12 wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyethylenetetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyamides, polyimides, and mixtures thereof.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the negative electrode comprises a current collector selected from the group consisting of copper, stainless steel, titanium, tantalum, platinum, gold, aluminum, nickel, cobalt nickel alloy, highly alloyed ferritic stainless steel containing molybdenum and chromium, and nickel-, chromium-, and molybdenum-containing alloys.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the positive electrode comprises from about 90 to 97 weight percent LiCoO 2 mixed with from about 1 to 10 weight percent of a conductive additive and from about 3 to 10 weight percent of a fluoro-resin binder.

16. The electrochemical cell of claim 6 wherein the cathode active material is selected from the group consisting of LiNiO 2 , LiMn 2 O 4 , LiCoO 2 , LiCo 0.92 Sn 0.08 O 2 , lithium cobalt nickel oxide and LiMPO 4 (where M is one or metals from columns 4 through 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements).

17. A method for making an electrochemical cell, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a negative electrode of an anode active material which intercalates with lithium;

b) providing a positive electrode comprising a cathode active material which intercalates with the lithium;

c) disposing a separator intermediate the negative and positive electrodes to thereby prevent the electrodes from direct physical contact with each other; and

d) activating the negative and positive electrodes with a nonaqueous electrolyte comprising:

i) a linear carbonate mixture of dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC), wherein by volume percent, DMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 75%; EMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 50%; and DEC is in the range of from about 3% to about 45%;

ii) ethylene carbonate (EC) as a cyclic carbonate, wherein the EC is in the range of from about 10% to about 50% by volume percent;

iii) a lithium salt; and

iv) poly(2-vinylpyridine) at a concentration of from about 0.05 to less than 1.0 weight percent.

18. The method of claim 17 including providing the poly(2-vinylpyridine) comprising a molecular weight of 5,000.

19. The method of claim 17 including selecting the lithium salt from the group consisting of LiPF 6 , LIBF 4 , LiAsF 6 , LiSbF 6 , LiClO 4 , LiAlCl 4 , LiGaCl 4 , LiC(SO 2 CF 3 ) 3 , LiNO 3 , LiN(SO 2 CF 3 ) 2 , LiSCN, LiO 3 SCF 2 CF 3 , LiC 6 F 5 SO 3 , LiO 2 CCF 3 , LiSO 3 F, LiB(C 6 H 5 ) 4 , LiCF 3 SO 3 , and mixtures thereof.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the electrolyte does not include a biphenyl compound.

21. The method of claim 17 including selecting the anode active material from the group consisting of coke, graphite, acetylene black, carbon black, glassy carbon, carbon nanotubes, and meso-carbon microbeads.

22. The method of claim 17 including providing the anode active material as a fibrous carbonaceous material.

23. The method of claim 17 including selecting the cathode active material from the group consisting of LiNiO 2 , LiMnO 4 , LiCoO 2 , LiCo 0.92 Sn 0.08 O 2 , lithium cobalt nickel oxide and LiMPO 4 (where M is one or metals from columns 4 through 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements).

24. An electrochemical cell, which comprises:

a) a negative electrode comprised of a carbonaceous material selected from coke, graphite, acetylene black, carbon black, glassy carbon, carbon nanotubes, and meso-carbon microbeads;

b) a positive electrode of a lithiated material selected from the group consisting of LiNiO 2 , LiMn 2 O 4 , LiCoO 2 , LiCo 0.92 Sn 0.08 O 2 , lithium cobalt nickel oxide and LiMPO 4 (where M is one or metals from columns 4 through 13 of the Periodic Table of the Elements);

c) a separator intermediate the negative and positive electrodes to thereby prevent the electrodes from direct physical contact with each other; and

d) an activating electrolyte comprising;

i) a linear carbonate mixture of dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC), wherein by volume percent, DMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 75%; EMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 50%; and DEC is in the range of from about 3% to about 45% by volume percent;

ii) ethylene carbonate (EC) as a cyclic carbonate, wherein the EC is in the range of from about 10% to about 50%;

iii) a lithium salt; and

iv) poly(2-vinylpyridine) at a concentration of from about 0.05 to less than 1.0 weight percent.

25. The electrochemical cell of claim 24 wherein the electrolyte does not include a biphenyl.

26. The electrochemical cell of claim 24 wherein the poly(2-vinylpyridine) comprises a molecular weight of 5,000.

27. An electrolyte for an electrochemical cell, the electrolyte comprising:

a) a linear carbonate mixture of dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), and ethylmethyl carbonate (EMC), wherein by volume percent, DMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 75%; EMC is in the range of from about 5% to about 50%; and DEC is in the range of from about 3% to about 45%;

b) ethylene carbonate (EC) as a cyclic carbonate, wherein the EC is in the range of from about 10% to about 50% by volume percent;

c) a lithium salt; and

d) poly(2-vinylpyridine) at a concentration of from about 0.05 to less than 1.0 weight percent, wherein the poly(2-vinylpyridine) is comprised of repeating vinyl units joined to one or more heterocyclic amine moieties and wherein the heterocyclic amine moieties contain from five to ten ring atoms, inclusive.

28. The electrolyte of claim 27 wherein the poly(2-vinylpyridine) comprises a molecular weight of 5,000.