Cathode for a battery
View Patent ↗An electrode for an electrochemical cell including an active electrode material and an intrinsically conductive coating wherein the coating is applied to the active electrode material by heating the mixture for a time and at a temperature that limits degradation of the cathode active material.
1. A method of making an electrode for an electrochemical cell, comprising:
combining a coating composition and an active electrode material to form a mixture, wherein the coating composition comprises a coating precursor in which at least 35% of carbon atoms in the coating precursor are sp or sp 2 hybridized;
heating the mixture for a time and at a temperature that limits degradation of the active electrode material;
mixing the coated active electrode material with a binder material and a conductive additive to form an electrode-forming mixture; and
heating the electrode-forming mixture to form the electrode.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the active electrode material comprises an oxide compound, fluoride compound, a phosphate compound, or a silicate compound.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mixture is heated for a time that limits degradation of the active electrode material.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first heating step forms a covalently attached coating on the active electrode material.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least 90% of carbon atoms in the coating precursor are sp or sp 2 hybridized.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein 100% of carbon atoms in the coating precursor are sp or sp 2 hybridized.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating precursor comprises a core in which 90% of carbon atoms in the core are sp or sp 2 hybridized.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating precursor comprises a core in which 100% of carbon atoms in the core are sp or sp 2 hybridized.
9. The method of claim 3 wherein the mixture is heated for a time in a range of from about 0.5 hours to about 6 hours.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating precursor comprises naphthalene.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating precursor comprises pentacene.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating precursor comprises anthracene.
13. The method of claim 2 wherein the active electrode material comprises an oxide compound and the oxide compound comprises a metal oxide compound.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the oxide compound comprises a lithium-manganese-nickel-oxygen compound.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the oxide compound comprises a lithium-manganese-oxygen compound.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the oxide compound comprises a lithium-rich layered oxide compound.
17. The method of claim 2 wherein the active electrode material comprises a fluoride compound and the fluoride compound comprises a metal fluoride compound.
18. The method of claim 2 wherein the active electrode material comprises a phosphate compound and the phosphate compound comprises a metal phosphate compound.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the phosphate compound comprises a lithium-iron-phosphate compound.
20. The method of claim 2 wherein the active electrode material comprises a silicate compound and the silicate compound comprises a metal silicate compound.