IP Library Granted Patent US 10,978,743
Granted Patent B1
US 10,978,743 · App. 16/708,213 · Granted Apr 13, 2021

Optimization of electrochemical cell

Inventors: Heather Dawn Deshazer (Sunnyvale, CA); Grace Marjorie Yee (Los Altos Hills, CA); Daniel Friebel (San Carlos, CA); Ali Firouzi (Saratoga, CA); Colin Deane Wessells (Menlo Park, CA)
Assignee: Natron Energy, Inc.
H01M10/0569H01M2/1673H01M10/0568H01M10/0459H01M10/0583
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,978,743
App. No.
16/708,213
Granted
Apr 13, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system and method for optimizing electrochemical cells including electrodes employing coordination compounds by mediating water content within a desired water content profile that includes sufficient coordinated water and reduces non-coordinated water below a desired target.

Claims (33)

1. A method of producing a cell stack for an electrochemical cell including a plurality of layers, each including an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a separator interposed therebetween, and wherein all of the anodes in the plurality of layers are in electronic communication, and wherein all of the cathodes in the plurality of layers are in electronic communication, and wherein at least one electrode includes a coordinated compound material including a water content quantity that includes a degradation of a set of electrochemical properties when present during an electrochemical cycling of the cell stack, comprising:

a) manufacturing a set of electrodes wherein said set of electrodes all include the anode electrodes and the cathode electrodes with the coordination compound having the water content;

b) assembling the cell stack using said set of electrodes including the water content, said cell stack assembling b) producing an assembled cell stack having said subset of electrodes including the water content; and

c) exposing said assembled cell stack having said set of electrodes including the water content to a water mediating process configured to mediate the water content of said electrodes of said set of electrodes within a mediated water content quantity;

wherein said mediated water content quantity includes a reduction of the degradation of the set of electrochemical properties when present during an electrochemical cycling of said assembled cell stack

wherein said mediated water content quantity includes a residual moisture for all electrodes of said set of electrodes greater than or equal to four percent; and

wherein said set of electrodes contain both non-zero coordinated and non-coordinated water when said residual moisture for all electrodes of said set of electrodes is greater than or equal to four percent.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said electrodes including the coordinated compound material having said mediated water content quantity include a formula:

A x P y [R(CN) 6 ] z (H 2 O) n

wherein A is one or more alkali cations,

wherein P and R are one or more divalent or trivalent transition metal cations,

wherein 0.5<z<1,

wherein n=6*(1-z)+m, and wherein n>0

wherein 6*(1−z) is the quantity of lattice bound water and m is the quantity of non-coordinated water, and

wherein m≥0

wherein 0≤x≤2, and y=1.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said exposing said assembled cell stack step occurs within an environmentally controlled chamber configured for said water mediating process to be applied to said assembled cell stack and wherein said assembling the cell stack step is performed outside of said environmentally controlled chamber.

4. A method of producing a cell stack of an electrochemical cell, including a plurality of layers, each layer including an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a separator interposed therebetween, and wherein all of the anodes in said plurality of layers are in electronic communication, and wherein all of the cathodes in said plurality of layers are in electronic communication, and wherein each of the electrodes include a coordinated compound material, having a residual moisture outside of a desired residual moisture profile, comprising:

a) assembling the cell stack while the residual moisture of the electrodes in each electrochemical cell is outside of the desired residual moisture profile; and thereafter:

b) exposing the cell stack to a water mediating process to adjust the residual moisture of the electrodes in each electrochemical cell within the desired residual moisture profile greater than or equal to four percent; and

wherein the electrodes contain both non-zero coordinated water and non-coordinated water when the residual moisture for all the electrodes is greater than or equal to four percent.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the coordinated compound materials includes a TMCCC material having a first quantity of coordinated water and a second quantity of non-coordinated water, wherein the residual moisture profile includes said first quantity of coordinated water disposed within a first target range, and wherein the residual moisture profile includes said second quantity of non-coordinated water disposed below a second target range.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the anode electrode includes said TMCCC material and wherein said TMCCC material includes manganese hexacyanomanganate.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the electrodes including the coordinated compound material include a formula:

A x P y [R(CN) 6 ] z (H 2 O) n

wherein A is one or more alkali cations,

wherein P and R are one or more divalent or trivalent transition metal cations,

wherein 0.5<z<1,

wherein n=6*(1-z)+m, and wherein n>0

wherein 6*(1-z) is the quantity of lattice bound water and m is the quantity of non-coordinated water, and

wherein m≥0; and

wherein 0≤x≤2, and y=1.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said exposing the cell stack step occurs within an environmentally controlled chamber configured for said water mediating process and wherein said assembling the cell stack step is performed outside of said environmentally controlled chamber.

Assignments (8)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2025
From: NATRON (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC
To: MERCURIA INVESTMENTS US, INC.
Reel/Frame 072829/0132 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2025
From: NATRON ENERGY, INC.
To: NATRON (ASSIGNMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF CREDITORS), LLC
Reel/Frame 072836/0466 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 3, 2025
From: NATRON INTERMEDIATE, INC.; NATRON HOLDINGS, INC.; NATRON ENERGY, INC.
To: MERCURIA INVESTMENTS US, INC.
Reel/Frame 071480/0329 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2025
From: MERCURIA INVESTMENTS US, INC.
To: NATRON ENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 070705/0013 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 26, 2024
From: NANODIMENSION III, L.P.; NANODIMENSION IV, L.P.; ND CAPITAL OPPORTUNITY FUND I, L.P.; THE EIGER TRUST
To: NATRON ENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 069450/0867 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2024
From: NATRON ENERGY, INC.
To: MERCURIA INVESTMENTS US, INC.
Reel/Frame 068748/0393 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 8, 2024
From: NATRON ENERGY, INC.
To: NANODIMENSION III, L.P.; NANODIMENSION IV, L.P.; ND CAPITAL OPPORTUNITY FUND I, L.P.; THE EIGER TRUST
Reel/Frame 068520/0081 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2019
From: DESHAZER, HEATHER DAWN, MS.; YEE, GRACE MARJORIE, MS.; FRIEBEL, DANIEL, DR.; FIROUZI, ALI, DR.; WESSELLS, COLIN DEANE, DR..
To: NATRON ENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 051222/0325 →