Batteries prepared by spinning
A method of forming a lithium-ion battery by spinning and a battery formed thereby are disclosed. The spinning may include electrospinning A first anode layer may be spun, followed by a first separator layer, a first cathode layer, and a second separator layer. Each layer may be spun directly onto the previously spun layer to provide a battery that does not include metal current collectors. The anode and/or cathode layers may include polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers. To render the anode and cathode layers conductive, they may be carbonized using a heat source (e.g., a laser). The disclosed method may allow for the incorporation of high capacity materials, such as sulfur and/or silicon, in the electrode active materials.
1. A lithium-ion battery comprising:
a first anode layer including a conductive bulk fiber and an anode active material;
a first non-conductive, porous layer contacting the first anode layer;
a first cathode layer including a conductive bulk fiber and a cathode active material contacting the first non-conductive, porous layer; and
a second non-conductive, porous layer contacting the first cathode layer;
wherein each of the first anode and cathode layers includes a body and a collector tab extending from the body, the collector tab including a conductive bulk fiber.
2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the anode active material is embedded in the conductive bulk fiber of the anode layer and at least a portion of the cathode active material is embedded in the conductive bulk fiber of the cathode layer.
3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first anode layer and the first cathode layer have a porosity of 40% to 80% and the first and second non-conductive, porous layers each have a thickness of 1 to 12 μm.
4. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the conductive bulk fiber of the first anode and cathode layers is a carbonized polymer.
5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the first and second non-conductive, porous layers are first and second separator layers.
6. The battery of claim 2 , wherein the anode active material includes silicon nanoparticles.
7. The battery of claim 2 , wherein the cathode active material includes sulfur.
8. The battery of claim 7 , wherein the cathode active material includes nanoparticles of elemental sulfur or Li 2 S.
9. The battery of claim 1 further comprising:
a second anode layer including a conductive bulk fiber and an anode active material contacting the second non-conductive, porous layer;
a third non-conductive, porous layer contacting the second anode layer; and
a second cathode layer including a conductive bulk fiber and a cathode active material contacting the third non-conductive, porous layer.
10. A lithium-ion battery comprising:
a plurality of anode layers, each including a conductive bulk fiber and an anode active material;
a plurality of cathode layers, each including a conductive bulk fiber and a cathode active material; and
a plurality of non-conductive separator layers, each separating one of the plurality of anode layers from one of the plurality of cathode layers;
wherein no metal current collectors are in contact with the plurality of anode layers or the plurality of cathode layers.
11. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the anode active material includes silicon and at least a portion of the anode active material is embedded in the conductive bulk fiber of each anode layer.
12. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the cathode active material includes sulfur and at least a portion of the cathode active material is embedded in the conductive bulk fiber of each cathode layer.
13. The battery of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of anode and cathode layers includes a body and a collector tab extending from the body, the collector tab including a conductive bulk fiber.
14. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of anode layers and the plurality of cathode layers have a porosity of 40% to 80%.
15. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of non-conductive separator layers each have a thickness of 1 to 12 μm.
16. A method for forming a battery comprising:
(a) spinning a first anode layer and carbonizing the first anode layer using a laser;
(b) spinning a first separator layer onto the carbonized first anode layer;
(c) spinning a first cathode layer onto the first separator layer and carbonizing the first cathode layer using a laser; and
(d) spinning a second separator layer onto the carbonized first cathode layer.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the spinning in steps (a)-(d) is performed using electrospinning.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein step (a) includes spinning a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber and an anode active material and step (c) includes spinning a PAN fiber and a cathode active material.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the anode active material includes silicon nanoparticles and the cathode active material includes nanoparticles of elemental sulfur or Li 2 S.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein step (a) includes spinning a first anode layer having a porosity of 40% to 80%, step (b) includes spinning a first separator layer having a thickness of 1 to 12 μm, step (c) includes spinning a first cathode layer having a porosity of 40% to 80%, and step (d) includes spinning a second separator layer having a thickness of 1 to 12 μm.