High performance lithium or lithium ion cell

1. A lithium-ion electrochemical cell, the cell comprising:

(i) an anode, the anode comprising an anode active material in electronically conductive contact with an anode current collector;

(ii) a cathode exhibiting an upper charging voltage in the range of 3 to 5 volts with respect to a Li/Li + reference electrode, the cathode comprising:

a cathode current collector;

a porous, protective, conductive coating on the cathode current collector, the conductive coating comprising graphite, wherein the conductive coating is inherently porous and has a variable thickness, and where the coating is a composite further including a polymer;

a cathode active material placed on the top of the porous, protective, conductive coating, the cathode active material comprising a lithium insertion transition metal oxide, phosphate, or sulfate;

(iii) an ion-permeable membrane as a separator between the anode and cathode; and

(iv) an electrolyte solution being in ionically conductive contact with the anode and cathode, the electrolyte solution comprising an additive, a lithium compound, and at least one aprotic polar solvent, a polymer or a mixture of at least one aprotic polar solvent and a polymer;

the lithium compound being at a concentration from about 0.1 to 3 molar, the lithium compound being represented by the formula

R f 1 SO 2 X − (Li + )YZ a

wherein

R f 1 is an independently selected perfluoroalkyl radical of 1-4 carbons optionally interrupted by an ether oxygen;

X is C or N;

a is 0 or 1, with the proviso that a is 1 when X is C, and a is 0 when X is N;

wherein, when X is C and a is 1:

Y and Z are electron-withdrawing groups each independently selected from the group consisting of CN, SO 2 R f 2 , SO 2 R, P(O)(OR) 2 , CO 2 R, P(O)R 2 , C(O)R f 3 , C(O)R, cycloalkenyl groups formed therewith, and H, with the proviso that Y and Z cannot both be H;

wherein R is an alkyl group of 1-6 carbons optionally interrupted by an ether oxygen and optionally substituted with an aryl group; and

wherein R f 2 and R f 3 are each independently selected perfluoroalkyl radicals of 1-4 carbons optionally interrupted by an ether oxygen; and

wherein, when X is N and a is 0:

Y is an electron-withdrawing group SO 2 R f 6 ,

wherein R f 6 is —(R f 4 SO 2 N − (Li + )SO 2 ) m R f 5 ;

wherein m is 0 or 1;

R f 4 is —C n F 2n ; wherein n is from 1 to 4; and wherein R f 4 is optionally interrupted by an ether oxygen; and

R f 5 is —C n F 2n+1 ; wherein each n is 1-4, wherein R f 5 is optionally interrupted by one or more ether oxygens;

the additive being at a concentration from 0.01 to 1 molar and providing corrosion protection of the cathode current collector, the anode current collector, or both current collectors; wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of LiBOB, LiF, LiFOB, LiPF 6 , LiBF 4 , LiAsF 6 , LiClO 4 , and LiPF n (R f ) m ; wherein n+m is 6, and R f is CF 3 or C 2 F 5 ; and

the porous, protective, conductive coating partially exposing the cathode current collector to the electrolyte solution.

2. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode current collector comprises aluminum.

3. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode current collector comprises an aluminum alloy.

4. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the additive providing corrosion protection is LiBOB.

5. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the additive providing corrosion protection is a mixture of LiBOB and LiPF 6 .

6. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the porous, protective, conductive coating has a thickness of less than 10 micrometers.

7. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the porous, protective, conductive coating on the cathode current collector comprises a mixture comprising carbon and graphite.

8. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode active material is a carbon species selected from the group consisting of graphite microbeads, natural graphites, artificial graphites, carbon fibers, and graphitic flakes.

9. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode active material; the lithium insertion transition metal oxide, phosphate, or sulfate; or both, are in a particulate form; and wherein the particulate form ranges from 1 to 100 micrometers in average equivalent spherical diameter.

10. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode exhibits an upper charging voltage in the range of 3.5 to 5 volts with respect to a Li/Li + reference electrode.

11. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell is charged to a lower voltage than the cathode material's typical or standard upper charging voltage.

12. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the lithium insertion transition metal oxide, phosphate or sulfate is selected from the group consisting of LiCoO 2 ; spinel LiMn 2 O 4 ; chromium-doped spinel lithium manganese oxides; layered LiMnO 2 ; LiNiO 2 ; LiNi x CO 1-x O 2 , wherein x is 0<x<1; LiNi 1-x-y Co x Mn y O 2 , wherein x is 0<x<1, and wherein y is 0<y<1; vanadium oxides; LiFePO 4 ; LiMnPO 4 ; LiVPO 4 ; and LiFeTi(SO 4 ) 3 .

13. The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein the lithium insertion transition metal oxide, phosphate, or sulfate is a lithium insertion transition metal oxide selected from the group consisting of LiCoO 2 ; LiMn 2 O 4 ; LiNiO 2 ; LiNi x Co 1-x O 2 , wherein x is 0<x<1; LiNi 1-x-y Co x Mn y O 2 , wherein x is 0<x<1, and wherein y is 0<y<1.

14. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte solution comprises an organic carbonate wherein the organic carbonate is selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, and mixtures thereof.

15. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the lithium compound in the electrolyte solution is from about 0.5 to 2 molar.

16. The electrochemical cell of claim 15 , wherein the concentration of the lithium compound in the electrolyte solution is from about 0.8 to 1.2 molar.

17. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the lithium compound is CF 3 SO 2 N − (Li + )SO 2 CF 3 .

18. The electrochemical cell of claim 17 , wherein the electrolyte solution is a solution of the lithium compound in an organic carbonate;

wherein the concentration of the lithium compound in the electrolyte solution is from about 0.1 to 2 molar; and

wherein the organic carbonate is selected from the group consisting of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, and ethyl methyl carbonate.

19. The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the additive in the electrolyte solution is from 0.05 to 0.8 molar.

20. A lithium-ion electrochemical cell, the cell comprising:

(i) an anode, the anode comprising an anode active material in electronically conductive contact with an anode current collector;

(ii) a cathode exhibiting an upper charging voltage in the range of 3 to 5 volts with respect to a Li/Li + reference electrode, the cathode comprising:

a cathode current collector wherein the cathode current collector is an aluminum alloy;

a porous, protective, conductive coating with a variable thickness on the cathode current collector wherein the coating comprises a mixture of conductive carbon and graphite, and a polymer;

a cathode active material placed on top of the protective, conductive coating, the cathode active material comprising a lithium insertion transition metal oxide, phosphate, or sulfate;

(iii) an ion-permeable membrane as a separator between the anode and cathode; and

(iv) an electrolyte solution being in ionically conductive contact with the anode and cathode, the electrolyte solution comprising an additive, a lithium compound, and at least one aprotic polar solvent, a polymer or a mixture of at least one aprotic polar solvent and a polymer;

the lithium compound being at a concentration from about 0.1 to 3 molar, the lithium compound being represented by the formula

R f 1 SO 2 X − (Li + )YZ a

wherein

R f 1 is an independently selected perfluoroalkyl radical of 1-4 carbons optionally interrupted by an ether oxygen;

X is C or N;

a is 0 or 1, with the proviso that a is 1 when X is C, and a is 0 when X is N;

wherein, when X is C and a is 1:

Y and Z are electron-withdrawing groups each independently selected from the group consisting of CN, SO 2 R f 2 , SO 2 R, P(O)(OR) 2 , CO 2 R, P(O)R 2 , C(O)R f 3 , C(O)R, cycloalkenyl groups formed therewith, and H, with the proviso that Y and Z cannot both be H;

wherein R is an alkyl group of 1-6 carbons optionally interrupted by an ether oxygen and optionally substituted with an aryl group; and

wherein R f 2 and R f 3 are each independently selected perfluoroalkyl radicals of 1-4 carbons optionally interrupted by an ether oxygen; and

wherein, when X is N and a is 0:

Y is an electron-withdrawing group SO 2 R f 6 ,

wherein R f 6 is —(R f 4 SO 2 N − (Li + )SO 2 ) m R f 5 ;

wherein m is 0 or 1;

R f 4 is —C n F 2n ; wherein n is from 1 to 4; and wherein R f 4 is optionally interrupted by an ether oxygen; and

R f 5 is —C n F 2n+1 ; wherein each n is 1-4, wherein R f 5 is optionally interrupted by one or more ether oxygens;

the additive being at a concentration from 0.05 to 0.8 molar and providing corrosion protection of the cathode current collector, the anode current collector, or both current collectors; wherein the additive is a mixture of LiBOB and LiPF 6 ;

the porous, protective, conductive coating partially shielding the cathode current collector from the electrolyte solution; and

a non-soluble film created by the additive on the cathode current collector.

21. The electrochemical cell of claim 20 , wherein the concentration of the LiBOB is 0.10 molar and the LiPF 6 is 0.20 molar.