Electrodes, compositions, and devices having high structure carbon blacks

1. An electrode for an energy storage device, comprising:

a lithium ion-based electroactive material; and

carbon black particles having (a) a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area ranging from 70 to 120 m 2 /g; (b) an oil absorption number (OAN) ranging from 180 to 310 mL/100 g; (c) a surface energy less than or equal to 15 mJ/m 2 ; and (d) either an L a crystallite size less than or equal to 29 Å, or a primary particle size less than or equal to 24 nm.

2. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have both an La crystallite size less than or equal to 29 Å, and a particle size less than or equal to 24 nm.

3. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a particle size less than or equal to 24 nm.

4. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a surface energy less than or equal to 10 mJ/m 2 .

5. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a % crystallinity (I G /I G+D ) less than or equal to 45%, as determined by Raman spectroscopy.

6. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have an oxygen content of less than or equal to 1 wt %.

7. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a dispersability of less than one micron (D 50 by volume).

8. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a ratio of statistical thickness surface area to Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area (STSA:BET) greater than 0.95:1.

9. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have a BET surface area ranging from 90 to 110 m 2 /g.

10. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have an OAN ranging from 220 to 270 mL/100 g.

11. The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon black particles have an L c crystallite size ranging from 17 to 27 Angstroms.