Chemical-free production of graphene-protected porous anode particles for lithium batteries

1. An anode particulate for a lithium battery, said anode particulate comprising a core and a thin encapsulating layer that encapsulates or embraces said core, wherein said core comprises a single or a plurality of porous primary particles of an anode active material, having a pore volume Vpp and solid volume Va, dispersed or embedded in a porous carbon matrix or carbon foam, wherein said porous carbon matrix or carbon foam contains pores having a pore volume Vp, and said thin encapsulating layer comprises graphene sheets and has a thickness from 1 nm to 10 μm, an electric conductivity from 10 −6 S/cm to 20,000 S/cm and a lithium ion conductivity from 10 −8 S/cm to 5×10 −2 S/cm and wherein the volume ratio Vp/Va is from 1.0/1.0 to 10/1.0 or the total pore volume ratio (Vp+Vpp)/Va is from 1.3/1.0 to 20/1.0, and the porous carbon matrix or carbon foam electronically and/or ionically connects the encapsulating layer to the primary particles of the anode active material, wherein said porous primary particles contain at least one particle that is porous having a free space, in a form of surface pores and/or internal pores, to expand into when said battery is charged.

2. An anode particulate for a lithium battery, said anode particulate comprising a core and a thin encapsulating layer that encapsulates or embraces said core, wherein said core comprises a single or a plurality of porous primary particles of an anode active material, having a pore volume Vpp and solid volume Va, wherein thin encapsulating layer comprises graphene sheets and has a thickness from 1 nm to 10 μm and an electric conductivity from 10 −6 S/cm to 20,000 S/cm and wherein the volume ratio Vpp/Va is from 0.1/1.0 to 10/1.0 and said porous primary particles contain at least one particle that is porous having a free space, in a form of surface pores and/or internal pores, to expand into when said battery is charged.

3. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein said graphene sheets are selected from pristine graphene, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, nitrogenated graphene, hydrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, a combination thereof, or a combination thereof with graphene oxide or reduced graphene oxide.

4. The anode particulate of claim 2 , wherein said graphene sheets are selected from pristine graphene, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, nitrogenated graphene, hydrogenated graphene, doped graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof and wherein said graphene sheets do not include CVD graphene, graphene oxide (GO), and reduced graphene oxide (RGO).

5. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein said graphene sheets are selected from CVD graphene, graphene oxide (GO), or reduced graphene oxide (RGO).

6. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein said graphene sheets in said encapsulating layer are chemically bonded with a carbon material.

7. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein said porous carbon matrix or carbon foam is reinforced with a high-strength material selected from carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, carbon or graphite fibers, graphene sheets, expanded graphite flakes, polymer fibrils, glass fibers, ceramic fibers, metal filaments or metal nanowires, whiskers, or a combination thereof.

8. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein said anode active material is selected from the group consisting of: (a) silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and cadmium (Cd); (b) alloys or intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Ni, Co, or Cd with other elements; (c) oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Fe, Ni, Co, V, or Cd, and their mixtures, composites, or lithium-containing composites; (d) salts and hydroxides of Sn; (e) lithium titanate, lithium manganate, lithium aluminate, lithium-containing titanium oxide, lithium transition metal oxide; (f) prelithiated versions thereof; (g) particles of Li, Li alloy, or surface-stabilized Li having at least 60% by weight of lithium element therein; and (h) combinations thereof.

9. The anode particulate of claim 2 , wherein said anode active material is selected from the group consisting of: (a) silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), and cadmium (Cd); (b) alloys or intermetallic compounds of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Ni, Co, or Cd with other elements; (c) oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides, phosphides, selenides, and tellurides of Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, Zn, Al, Ti, Fe, Ni, Co, V, or Cd, and their mixtures, composites, or lithium-containing composites; (d) salts and hydroxides of Sn; (e) lithium titanate, lithium manganate, lithium aluminate, lithium-containing titanium oxide, lithium transition metal oxide; (f) prelithiated versions thereof; (g) particles of Li, Li alloy, or surface-stabilized Li having at least 60% by weight of lithium element therein; and (h) combinations thereof.

10. The anode particulate of claim 8 , wherein said Li alloy contains from 0.1% to 10% by weight of a metal element selected from Zn, Ag, Au, Mg, Ni, Ti, Fe, Co, V, or a combination.

11. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein said anode active material contains a prelithiated Si, prelithiated Ge, prelithiated Sn, prelithiated SnO x , prelithiated SiO x , prelithiated iron oxide, prelithiated VO 2 , prelithiated Co 3 O 4 , prelithiated Ni 3 O 4 , lithium titanate, or a combination thereof, wherein x=1 to 2.

12. The anode particulate of claim 2 , wherein said anode active material contains a prelithiated Si, prelithiated Ge, prelithiated Sn, prelithiated SnO x , prelithiated SiO x , prelithiated iron oxide, prelithiated VO 2 , prelithiated Co 3 O 4 , prelithiated Ni 3 O 4 , lithium titanate, or a combination thereof, wherein x=1 to 2.

13. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein said anode active material is in a form of nano particle, nano wire, nano fiber, nano tube, nano sheet, nano belt, nano ribbon, nano disc, nano platelet, or nano horn having a thickness or diameter from 0.5 nm to 100 nm.

14. The anode particulate of claim 2 , wherein said anode active material is in a form of nano particle, nano wire, nano fiber, nano tube, nano sheet, nano belt, nano ribbon, nano disc, nano platelet, or nano horn having a thickness or diameter from 0.5 nm to 100 nm.

15. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said primary anode active material particles is coated with a layer of carbon, graphite, or graphene disposed between said primary particle and said porous carbon foam.

16. The anode particulate of claim 2 , wherein at least one of said porous primary anode active material particles is coated with a layer of carbon, graphene, or graphite disposed between said primary particle and said encapsulating layer.

17. The anode particulate of claim 1 , wherein said anode particulate further comprises from 0.1% to 40% by weight of a lithium ion-conducting additive dispersed in said thin encapsulating layer or in ionic contact with said anode active material particles encapsulated therein.

18. The anode particulate of claim 2 , wherein said anode particulate further comprises from 0.1% to 40% by weight of a lithium ion-conducting additive dispersed in said thin encapsulating layer or in ionic contact with said anode active material particles encapsulated therein.

19. The anode particulate of claim 17 , wherein said lithium ion-conducting additive is selected from Li 2 CO 3 , Li 2 O, Li 2 C 2 O 4 , LiOH, LiX, ROCO 2 Li, HCOLi, ROLi, (ROCO 2 Li) 2 , (CH 2 OCO 2 Li) 2 , Li 2 S, Li x SO y , or a combination thereof, wherein X=F, Cl, I, or Br, R=a hydrocarbon group, 0<x≤1, 1≤y≤4.

20. The anode particulate of claim 17 , wherein said lithium ion-conducting additive contains a lithium salt selected from lithium perchlorate (LiClO 4 ), lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF 6 ), lithium borofluoride (LiBF 4 ), lithium hexafluoroarsenide (LiAsF 6 ), lithium trifluoro-methanesulfonate (LiCF 3 SO 3 ), bis-trifluoromethyl sulfonylimide lithium (LiN(CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 ), lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB), lithium oxalyldifluoroborate (LiBF 2 C 2 O 4 ), lithium nitrate (LiNO 3 ), Li-fluoroalkyl-phosphate (LiPF 3 (CF 2 CF 3 ) 3 ), lithium bisperfluoro-ethylsulfonylimide (LiBETI), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonimide (LiTFSI), an ionic liquid-based lithium salt, or a combination thereof.

21. A mass of anode particulates containing the anode particulate of claim 1 .

22. A mass of anode particulates containing the anode particulate of claim 2 .

23. A battery anode containing said anode particulate of claim 1 .

24. A battery anode containing said anode particulate of claim 2 .

25. A battery containing the battery anode of claim 23 , which is a lithium-ion battery, lithium metal battery, lithium-sulfur battery, lithium-air battery, or lithium-selenium battery.

26. A battery containing the battery anode of claim 24 , which is a lithium-ion battery, lithium metal battery, lithium-sulfur battery, lithium-air battery, or lithium-selenium battery.