Alkali-metal batteries with a dendrite-free anode interfacing an organic liquid electrolyte
A rechargeable battery cell has an organic-liquid electrolyte contacting a dendrite free alkali-metal anode. The alkali-metal anode may be a liquid at the operating temperature that is immobilized by absorption into a porous membrane. The alkali-metal anode may be a solid that wets a porous-membrane separator, where the contact between the solid alkali-metal anode and the liquid electrolyte is at micropores or nanopores in the porous-membrane separator. The use of a dendrite-free solid lithium cell was demonstrated in a symmetric cell with a porous cellulose-based separator membrane. A K + -ion rechargeable cell was demonstrated with a liquid K—Na alloy anode immobilized in a porous carbon membrane using an organic-liquid electrolyte with a Celgard® or glass-fiber separator.
1. A battery cell, including a rechargeable electrochemical cell, the rechargeable electrochemical cell comprising:
an anode comprising a current collector and a liquid sodium(Na)-potassium(K) alloy-metal comprising between 9.2 to 58.2 wt. % Na at 25° C. immobilized in a porous membrane;
a separator membrane;
a liquid electrolyte in the separator membrane that contacts the liquid anode via the separator membrane: and
a solid cathode,
wherein the separator membrane transports K ions between the separator membrane and the liquid anode.
2. The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the porous membrane is selected from at least one of:
a carbon-based membrane;
a polymer membrane;
a porous ceramic membrane;
a porous gel membrane;
a cellulose-based membrane; and
a fiber-matrix membrane.
3. The battery cell of claim 2 , wherein the fiber-matrix membrane is coated with at least one of:
a carbon-based material;
a glass material;
a polymer;
a cellulose-based material.
4. The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises Na.
5. The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the battery has been cycled and the cathode comprises K.
6. The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the battery has been cycled and the cathode comprises Na and K.
7. The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises Na 2 MnFe(CN) 6 .
8. The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the battery cell has been cycled and the cathode comprise K 2 MnFe(CN) 6 .
9. The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises K ions.
10. The battery cell of claim 9 , wherein electrolyte comprises KClO 4 .
11. The battery cell of claim 1 , wherein the separator membrane additionally transports Na ions between the separator membrane and the liquid anode and the electrolyte comprises Na ions.
12. The battery cell of claim 11 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises NaClO 4 .
13. A battery cell, including a rechargeable electrochemical cell, the rechargeable electrochemical cell comprising:
an anode comprising a current collector and a liquid sodium(Na)-potassium(K) alloy-metal comprising between 9.2 to 58.2 wt. % Na at 25° C. immobilized in a porous membrane;
a separator membrane;
a liquid electrolyte in the separator membrane that contacts the liquid anode via the separator membrane; and
a solid cathode,
wherein the separator membrane transports Na ions between the separator membrane and the liquid anode.
14. The battery cell of claim 13 , wherein the porous membrane is selected from at least one of:
a carbon-based membrane;
a polymer membrane;
a porous ceramic membrane;
a porous gel membrane;
a cellulose-based membrane; and
a fiber-matrix membrane.
15. The battery cell of claim 14 , wherein the fiber-matrix membrane is coated with at least one of:
a carbon-based material;
a glass material;
a polymer;
a cellulose-based material.
16. The battery cell of claim 13 , wherein the cathode comprises Na.
17. The battery cell of claim 13 , wherein the cathode comprises Na 2 MnFe(CN) 6 .
18. The battery cell of claim 13 , wherein the electrolyte comprises Na ions.
19. The battery cell of claim 18 , wherein electrolyte comprises KClO 4 .