Electrolytic doping of non-electrolyte layers in printed batteries
An electrical or electrochemical cell, including a cathode layer, an electrolyte layer, and an anode layer is disclosed. The cathode layer includes a first material providing a cathodic electric transport, charge storage or redox function. The electrolyte layer includes a polymer, a first electrolyte salt, and/or an ionic liquid, The anode layer includes a second material providing an anodic electric transport, charge storage or redox function. At least one of the cathode and anode layers includes the ionic liquid, a second electrolyte salt, and/or a transport-enhancing additive.
1. An electrical or electrochemical cell, comprising:
a cathode layer, comprising a first material providing a cathodic electric transport, charge storage or redox function;
an electrolyte layer, comprising a first electrolyte salt and a first ionic liquid, and optionally, a polymer;
an anode layer, comprising a second material providing an anodic electric transport, charge storage or redox function;
a first current collector layer in contact with the cathode layer, comprising a first conductive material; and
a second current collector layer in contact with the anode layer, comprising a second conductive material;
wherein at least one of the cathode layer and the anode layer includes a second ionic liquid, a second electrolyte salt, and/or a transport-enhancing additive; at least one of the first and second current collector layers further comprises at least one of a third ionic liquid and a third electrolyte salt; and the second conductive material is identical to or different from the first conductive material.
2. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode layer further comprises the second electrolyte salt, the anode layer further comprises a fourth electrolyte salt, the second electrolyte salt is identical to or different from the first electrolyte salt, and the fourth electrolyte salt is identical to or different from the first and/or second electrolyte salts.
3. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the first, second and third electrolyte salts each have a common cation or anion.
4. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode layer contains the second ionic liquid and/or the second electrolyte salt in substantially a same concentration as the first ionic liquid and/or the first electrolyte salt, respectively, in the electrolyte layer, based on a first ratio of the first ionic liquid to ionic liquid-permeable components of the electrolyte layer and/or a second ratio of the first electrolyte salt to electrolyte salt-permeable components of the electrolyte layer.
5. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first current collector layer comprises the third ionic liquid and/or the third electrolyte salt, and the second current collector layer further comprises a fourth ionic liquid and/or a fourth electrolyte salt.
6. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein one of the first and second current collector layers further comprises the third electrolyte salt, and each of the first, second, third and fourth electrolyte salts have a common cation or anion.
7. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first and second current collector layers contains the third ionic liquid and/or the third electrolyte salt in substantially a same concentration as an adjacent layer contains its corresponding ionic liquid and/or electrolyte salt, based on a first ratio of the third ionic liquid to ionic liquid-permeable components of the at least one current collector layer and the corresponding ionic liquid to ionic liquid-permeable components of the adjacent layer, and/or a second ratio of the third electrolyte salt to electrolyte salt-permeable components of the at least one current collector layer and the corresponding electrolyte salt to electrolyte salt-permeable components of the adjacent layer.
8. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first ionic liquid comprises an imidazolium salt, pyrrolidinium salt, ammonium salt, pyridinium salt, piperidinium salt, phosphonium salt, or sulfonium salt that is a liquid at ambient or room temperature.
9. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrolyte salts release cations selected from the group consisting of zinc ions, aluminum ions, magnesium ions, and yttrium ions, and anions selected from the group consisting of chloride, tetrafluoroborate (BF 4 − ), trifluoroacetate (CF 3 CO 2 − ), trifluoromethanesulfonate (CF 3 SO 3 − ), hexafluorophosphate (PF 6 − ), bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (NTf 2 − ), and bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (N(SO 2 F) 2 ) − .
10. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein the cathode layer contains the second ionic liquid, and the anode layer contains a fourth ionic liquid, the second ionic liquid being the same as or different from the first ionic liquid, and the fourth ionic liquid being the same as or different from the first and second ionic liquids.
11. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the cathode layer contains the second ionic liquid and/or the second electrolyte salt, the electrolyte layer contains the first ionic liquid and/or the first electrolyte salt, and the anode layer contains the fourth ionic liquid and/or the fourth electrolyte salt in a concentration that is substantially at or near a saturation concentration.
12. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the anode layer contains the fourth ionic liquid and/or the fourth electrolyte salt in substantially a same concentration as the first ionic liquid and/or the first electrolyte salt in the electrolyte layer, based on a first ratio of the first ionic liquid to ionic liquid-permeable components of the electrolyte layer and/or a second ratio of the first electrolyte salt to electrolyte salt-permeable components of the electrolyte layer.
13. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 4 , wherein the anode layer contains a fourth ionic liquid and/or a fourth electrolyte salt in substantially a same concentration as the first ionic liquid and/or the first electrolyte salt in the electrolyte layer, based on the first and/or second ratios.
14. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the first current collector layer further comprises the third ionic liquid and/or the third electrolyte salt, and the second current collector layer further comprises a fifth ionic liquid and/or a fifth electrolyte salt.
15. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte layer further comprises the polymer.
16. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 15 , wherein the cathode layer contains the second ionic liquid and the second electrolyte salt, and the anode layer contains a fourth ionic liquid and fourth electrolyte salt, the second ionic liquid being the same as or different from the first ionic liquid, the second electrolyte salt being the same as or different from the first electrolyte salt, the fourth ionic liquid being the same as or different from the first and second ionic liquids, and the fourth electrolyte salt being the same as or different from the first and second electrolyte salts.
17. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 15 , wherein the first ionic liquid comprises an imidazolium salt, pyrrolidinium salt, ammonium salt, pyridinium salt, piperidinium salt, phosphonium salt, or sulfonium salt that is a liquid at ambient or room temperature.
18. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 15 , wherein the first and second electrolyte salts release cations selected from the group consisting of zinc ions, aluminum ions, magnesium ions, and yttrium ions, and anions selected from the group consisting of chloride, tetrafluoroborate (BF 4 − ), trifluoroacetate (CF 3 CO 2 − ), trifluoromethanesulfonate (CF 3 SO 3 − ), hexafluorophosphate (PF 6 − ), bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide (NTf 2 − ), and bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (N(SO 2 F) 2 ) − .
19. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode layer contains the second ionic liquid, and the anode layer contains a fourth ionic liquid, the second ionic liquid being the same as or different from the first ionic liquid, and the fourth ionic liquid being the same as or different from the first and second ionic liquids.
20. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 19 , wherein each of the first ionic liquid, the second ionic liquid, the third ionic liquid, and the fourth ionic liquid consists essentially of a salt that is a liquid at ambient or room temperature.
21. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 20 , wherein each of the first ionic liquid, the second ionic liquid, the third ionic liquid, and the fourth ionic liquid is independently selected from the group consisting of imidazolium salts, pyrrolidinium salts, ammonium salts, pyridinium salts, piperidinium salts, phosphonium salts, and sulfonium salts that are liquid at ambient or room temperature.
22. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte layer comprises a polyfluoroalkene polymer.
23. The electrical or electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the second conductive material is identical to the first conductive material.