PARTICULATES OF CONDUCTING POLYMER NETWORK-PROTECTED ANODE ACTIVE MATERIAL PARTICLES FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

1 . Multi-functional particulates for a lithium battery, wherein at least one of said particulates has a diameter from 100 nm to 50 μm and comprises a conducting polymer network composite comprising one or a plurality of primary particles of an anode active material that are encapsulated by, embedded in, dispersed in, or bonded by an electrically and ionically conducting network of cross-linked polymer chains having a lithium ion conductivity from 10 −8 to 5×10 −2 S/cm and an electron conductivity from 10 −8 to 10 3 S/cm, wherein said primary particles have a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 20 μm.

2 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 1 , wherein said conducting network of cross-linked polymer chains comprises a conjugated polymer selected from polyacetylene, polythiophene, poly(3-alkylthiophenes), polypyrrole, polyaniline, poly(isothianaphthene), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), alkoxy-substituted poly(p-phenylene vinylene), poly(2,5-bis(cholestanoxy) phenylene vinylene), poly(p-phenylene vinylene), poly(2,5-dialkoxy) paraphenylene vinylene, poly[(1,4-phenylene-1,2-diphenylvinylene)], poly(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy phenylene vinylene), polyparaphenylene, polyparaphenylene, polyparaphenylene sulfide, polyheptadiyne, poly(3-hexylthiophene), poly(3-octylthiophene), poly(3-cyclohexylthiophene), poly(3-methyl-4-cyclohexylthiophene), poly(2,5-dialkoxy-1,4-phenyleneethynylene), poly(2-decyloxy-1,4-phenylene), poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene), polyquinoline, a derivative thereof, a copolymer thereof, a sulfonated version thereof, or a combination thereof.

3 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 1 , wherein said composite further comprises graphene sheets 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 multi-functional particulates of claim 1 , wherein said conducting network of cross-linked polymer chains is further 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.

5 . The multi-functional particulates 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.

6 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 5 , 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, Al, or a combination.

7 . The multi-functional particulates 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 Mn 3 O 4 , prelithiated Co 3 O 4 , prelithiated Ni 3 O 4 , lithium titanate, lithium niobite, or a combination thereof, wherein x=1 to 2.

8 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 1 , wherein said primary particles of anode active material are in a form of nanoparticle, nanowire, nanofiber, nanotube, nano sheet, nanobelt, nanoribbon, nanodisc, nanoplatelet, or nanohorn having a thickness or diameter from 0.5 nm to 100 nm.

9 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said primary anode active material particles is coated with a layer of carbon, graphite, or graphene.

10 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 1 , wherein said composite further comprises from 0.1% to 40% by weight of a lithium ion-conducting additive dispersed in said conducting polymer gel network.

11 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 10 , 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.

12 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 10 , 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.

13 . The multi-functional particulates of claim 1 , wherein said primary particles of anode active material contain porous particles having surface pores, internal pores, or both surface pores and internal pores.

14 . A powder mass comprising the multi-functional particulates of claim 1 .

15 . A battery containing the battery anode of claim 14 , which is a lithium-ion battery, lithium metal battery, lithium-sulfur battery, lithium-air battery, or lithium-selenium battery.

16 . A method of producing the multi-functional particulates of claim 1 , comprising (A) dispersing a plurality of primary particles of an anode active material, having a diameter or thickness from 0.5 nm to 20 μm, in a liquid mixture of a monomer or oligomer for a conjugated polymer, an initiator, and a cross-linking agent to form a reactive slurry; (B) forming the reactive slurry into micro-droplets and polymerizing and curing the monomer or oligomer in said micro-droplets to form the multi-functional particulates.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said reactive slurry further comprises a dopant, a reinforcement material, a lithium ion-conducting additive, an electron-conducting additive, or a combination thereof.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said step (B) of forming micro-droplets comprises a procedure selected from pan-coating, air-suspension coating, centrifugal extrusion, vibration-nozzle encapsulation, spray-drying, coacervation-phase separation, interfacial polycondensation or interfacial cross-linking, in-situ polymerization, matrix polymerization, extrusion and palletization, or a combination thereof.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said micro-droplets contain water or a liquid solvent and the method further comprises a step of removing said water or solvent.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein said reactive slurry further comprises 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,