Electrochemical cell and method of manufacturing

1. A method of manufacturing an electrochemical cell, the method comprising:

providing a porous or non-porous metal substrate;

exposing a surface of the metal substrate to a chalcogen in gas phase such that a conformal metal chalcogenide layer forms on the surface of the metal substrate; and

contacting at least a portion of the metal chalcogenide layer on the surface of the metal substrate with a source of lithium such that the lithium actively wets the metal chalcogenide layer and forms a conformal lithium metal layer on the surface of the metal substrate over the metal chalcogenide layer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the chalcogen comprises oxygen, sulfur, selenium, or a combination thereof, and wherein the metal chalcogenide layer comprises a metal oxide, a metal sulfide, a metal selenide, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal substrate comprises copper, and wherein the metal chalcogenide layer comprises copper oxide, copper sulfide, copper selenide, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the chalcogen comprises oxygen, and wherein the surface of the metal substrate is exposed to gaseous oxygen by heating the metal substrate in air such that the gaseous oxygen chemically reacts with and bonds to the surface of the metal substrate.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the chalcogen comprises sulfur or selenium, and wherein the surface of the metal substrate is exposed to gaseous sulfur or selenium by heating a volume of solid phase sulfur or selenium to release a volume of gaseous sulfur or selenium therefrom, and then exposing the surface of the metal substrate to the volume of gaseous sulfur or selenium such that the gaseous sulfur or selenium chemically reacts with and bonds to the surface of the metal substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal chalcogenide layer is contacted with the source of lithium by immersing a portion of the metal substrate in a volume of molten lithium such that the molten lithium chemically reacts with and actively wets the metal chalcogenide layer on the surface of the metal substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal chalcogenide layer is contacted with the source of lithium by heating a volume of molten lithium in a subatmospheric pressure environment to release a volume of gaseous lithium therefrom, and then exposing the metal chalcogenide layer on the surface of the metal substrate to the volume of gaseous lithium such that the gaseous lithium chemically reacts with and actively wets the metal chalcogenide layer on the surface of the metal substrate.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal substrate is non-porous and includes a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, and wherein the metal chalcogenide layer and the overlying lithium metal layer are formed on at least one of the first or second major surfaces of the metal substrate.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal substrate is porous and includes a first side, an opposite second side, and a plurality of pores defined by wall surfaces extending between the first and second sides of the metal substrate, and wherein the metal substrate is exposed to the chalcogen in gas phase such that the metal chalcogenide layer forms on the first and second sides of the metal substrate and on the wall surfaces extending between the first and second sides of the metal substrate, without blocking the pores of the metal substrate.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the metal chalcogenide layer is placed in contact with the source of lithium such that the lithium actively wets the metal chalcogenide layer and is uniformly distributed over the first and second sides of the metal substrate and on the wall surfaces extending between the first and second sides of the metal substrate, without blocking the pores of the metal substrate.

11. A method of manufacturing a negative electrode for an electrochemical cell of a lithium metal battery, the method comprising:

providing a porous or non-porous metal substrate having a conformal metal chalcogenide layer formed on a surface thereof and

contacting at least a portion of the metal chalcogenide layer on the surface of the metal substrate with a source of lithium such that the lithium actively wets the metal chalcogenide layer and forms a conformal lithium metal layer on the surface of the metal substrate over the metal chalcogenide layer.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal chalcogenide layer is formed on the surface of the metal substrate by exposing the surface of the metal substrate to a chalcogen in gas phase.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the chalcogen comprises oxygen, sulfur, selenium, or a combination thereof, and wherein the metal chalcogenide layer comprises a metal oxide, a metal sulfide, a metal selenide, or a combination thereof.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the chalcogen comprises oxygen, and wherein the surface of the metal substrate is exposed to gaseous oxygen by heating the metal substrate in air such that the gaseous oxygen chemically reacts with and bonds to the surface of the metal substrate.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the chalcogen comprises sulfur or selenium, and wherein the surface of the metal substrate is exposed to gaseous sulfur or selenium by heating a volume of solid phase sulfur or selenium to release a volume of gaseous sulfur or selenium therefrom, and then exposing the surface of the metal substrate to the volume of gaseous sulfur or selenium such that the gaseous sulfur or selenium chemically reacts with and bonds to the surface of the metal substrate.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal substrate comprises copper, and wherein the metal chalcogenide layer comprises copper oxide, copper sulfide, copper selenide, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal chalcogenide layer is placed in contact with the source of lithium by immersing a portion of the metal substrate in a volume of molten lithium such that the molten lithium chemically reacts with and actively wets the metal chalcogenide layer on the surface of the metal substrate.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal chalcogenide layer is placed in contact with the source of lithium by heating a volume of molten lithium in a subatmospheric pressure environment to release a volume of gaseous lithium therefrom, and then exposing the metal chalcogenide layer on the surface of the metal substrate to the volume of gaseous lithium such that the gaseous lithium chemically reacts with and actively wets the metal chalcogenide layer on the surface of the metal substrate.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal substrate is non-porous and includes a first major surface and an opposite second major surface, and wherein the metal chalcogenide layer and the overlying lithium metal layer are formed on at least one of the first or second major surfaces of the metal substrate.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal substrate is porous and includes a first side, an opposite second side, and a plurality of pores defined by wall surfaces extending between the first and second sides of the metal substrate, and wherein the metal chalcogenide layer is formed on the surface of the metal substrate by exposing the surface of the metal substrate to a chalcogen in gas phase such that the metal chalcogenide layer forms on the first and second sides of the metal substrate and on the wall surfaces extending between the first and second sides of the metal substrate, without blocking the pores of the metal substrate.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal substrate is porous and includes a first side, an opposite second side, and a plurality of pores defined by wall surfaces extending between the first and second sides of the metal substrate, and wherein the metal chalcogenide layer is placed in contact with the source of lithium such that the lithium actively wets the metal chalcogenide layer and is uniformly distributed over the first and second sides of the metal substrate and on the wall surfaces extending between the first and second sides of the metal substrate, without blocking the pores of the metal substrate.