YOKE-SHELL NANOPARTICLE, METHOD AND APPLICATIONS
A nanoparticle and a method for fabricating the nanoparticle utilize a decomposable material yoke located within permeable organic polymer material shell and separated from the permeable organic polymer material shell by a void space. When the decomposable material yoke comprises a sulfur material and the permeable organic polymer material shell comprises a material permeable to both a sulfur material vapor and a lithium ion within a battery electrolyte the nanoparticle may be used within an electrode for a Li/S battery absent the negative effects of battery electrode materials expansion.
1 . A nanoparticle comprising:
a decomposable material yoke;
a permeable organic polymer material shell surrounding the decomposable material yoke; and
a void space interposed between the decomposable material yoke and the permeable organic polymer material shell.
2 . The nanoparticle of claim 1 wherein the decomposable material yoke comprises a sulfur material selected from the group consisting of elemental sulfur, S8 and other polysulfides.
3 . The nanoparticle of claim 1 wherein the permeable organic polymer material shell comprises a polymer that is permeable to a decomposable material yoke vapor.
4 . The nanoparticle of claim 1 wherein:
the decomposable material yoke comprises a sulfur material; and
the permeable organic polymer material shell comprises a polyaniline material.
5 . The nanoparticle of claim 1 wherein
the decomposable material yoke has a diameter from about 200 to about 300 nanometers; and
the permeable organic polymer material shell has a diameter from about 300 to about 400 nanometers and a thickness from about 10 to about 20 nanometers.
6 . The nanoparticle of claim 5 wherein the void space interposed between the decomposable material yoke and the permeable organic polymer material shell comprises from about 25 to about 50 percent of the volume enclosed by the permeable organic polymer material shell.
7 . An electrode comprising:
a conductive substrate; and
a coating located upon the conductive substrate, the coating including a nanoparticle comprising:
a sulfur material yoke;
a lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell surrounding the sulfur material yoke; and
a void space interposed between the sulfur material yoke and the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell.
8 . The electrode of claim 7 wherein:
a sulfur material within the sulfur material yoke is selected from the group consisting of elemental sulfur, S8 and other polysulfides; and
the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell comprises a polyaniline material.
9 . The electrode of claim 7 wherein:
the sulfur material yoke has a diameter from about 200 to about 300 nanometers;
the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell has a diameter from about 300 to about 400 nanometers; and
the void space interposed between the sulfur material yoke and the lithium ion permeable organic polymer shell comprises from about 25 to about 50 of the volume enclosed by the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell.
10 . A battery comprising an electrode comprising:
a conductive substrate; and
a coating located upon the conductive substrate, the coating including a nanoparticle comprising:
a sulfur material yoke;
a lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell surrounding the sulfur material yoke; and
a void space interposed between the sulfur material yoke and the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell.
11 . The battery of claim 10 wherein:
the sulfur material yoke comprises a sulfur material selected from the group consisting of elemental sulfur, S8 and other polysulfides; and
the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell comprises a polyaniline material.
12 . The battery of claim 10 wherein:
the sulfur material yoke has a diameter from about 200 to about 300 nanometers;
the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell has a diameter from about 300 to about 400 nanometers; and
the void space interposed between the sulfur material yoke and the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell comprises from about 25 to about 50 percent of the volume enclosed by the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell.
13 . The battery of claim 10 wherein the battery comprises a Li/S battery.
14 . A method for fabricating a nanoparticle comprising:
forming surrounding and contacting a decomposable material core a permeable organic polymer material shell; and
decomposing part of the decomposable material core within the permeable organic polymer material shell to provide a decomposable material yoke within the permeable organic polymer shell and separated from the permeable organic polymer material shell by a void space.
15 . The method of claim 14 wherein:
the decomposable material core comprises a sulfur material selected from the group consisting of elemental sulfur, S8 and other polysulfides; and
the permeable organic polymer material shell comprises a polyaniline material.
16 . The method of claim 14 wherein the permeable organic polymer material shell comprises a material permeable to both sulfur vapor and lithium ion.
17 . The method of claim 14 wherein:
the decomposable material yoke has a diameter from about 200 to about 300 nanometers;
the permeable organic polymer material shell has a diameter from about 300 to about 400 nanometers; and
the void space interposed between the sulfur material yoke and the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell comprises from about 25 to about 50 percent of the volume enclosed by the lithium ion permeable organic polymer material shell.
18 . The method of claim 15 wherein the decomposing the part of the decomposable material yoke uses a thermal decomposition method.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the thermal decomposition method uses a temperature from about 150 to about 200 degrees centigrade for a time period from about 6 to about 18 hours.