ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES
Disclosed herein is an anode, comprising an active layer comprising a network of high aspect ratio carbon elements defining void spaces within the network; a plurality of electrode active material particles disposed in the void spaces within the network, wherein the active material particles comprise silicon; and a polymeric additive, the polymeric additive being at least one of (i) selected from a family of polyamides, or (ii) a modified polyamide or derivative of a polyamide. Disclosed herein too is a cathode, comprising an active layer comprising a network of high aspect ratio carbon elements defining void spaces within the network; a plurality of electrode active material particles disposed in the void spaces within the network; and a polymeric additive, the polymeric additive being at least one of (i) selected from a family of polyamides, or (ii) a modified polyamide or derivative of a polyamide.
1 . An anode, comprising:
an active layer comprising:
a network of high aspect ratio carbon elements defining void spaces within the network;
a plurality of electrode active material particles disposed in the void spaces within the network, wherein the active material particles comprises silicon; and
a polymeric additive, the polymeric additive being at least one of (i) selected from a family of polyamides, or (ii) a modified polyamide or derivative of a polyamide.
2 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the silicon comprised in the electrode active material particles is in the form of SiO.
3 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the silicon comprised in the electrode active material is micro-silicon.
4 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the silicon comprised in the comprised in the electrode active material is greater than fifty percent of the active layer by weight.
5 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the silicon comprised in the comprised in the electrode active material is at least eighty percent of the active layer by weight.
6 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein:
the network of high aspect ratio carbon elements comprises a mesh of carbon nanotubes; and
the mesh of carbon nanotubes maintains electrical connection among at least a subset of the carbon nanotubes comprised in the mesh during expansion of the Silicon.
7 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein:
the network of high aspect ratio carbon elements comprises a mesh of carbon nanotubes; and
the mesh of carbon nanotubes maintains electrical connection among at least a subset of the carbon nanotubes comprised in the mesh during a charging and discharging of a battery in which the electrode is comprised.
8 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the network of high aspect ratio carbon elements comprises:
a first set of carbon nanotubes, wherein the first set of carbon nanotubes comprise a plurality of first carbon nanotubes or a plurality of bundles of first carbon nanotubes; and
a second set of carbon nanotubes, wherein:
the second set of carbon nanotubes comprise a plurality of second carbon nanotubes or a plurality of bundles of second carbon nanotubes; and
the second set of carbon nanotubes has one or more properties different from the first set of carbon nanotubes.
9 . The electrode of claim 8 , wherein the first set of carbon nanotubes comprises multi-wall nanotubes.
10 . The electrode of claim 8 , wherein the second set of carbon nanotubes comprises single wall nanotubes.
11 . A cathode, comprising:
an active layer comprising:
a network of high aspect ratio carbon elements defining void spaces within the network;
a plurality of electrode active material particles disposed in the void spaces within the network; and
a polymeric additive, the polymeric additive being at least one of (i) selected from a family of polyamides, or (ii) a modified polyamide or derivative of a polyamide.
12 . The electrode of claim 11 , wherein network of high aspect ratio carbon elements comprises:
a first set of carbon nanotubes, wherein the first set of carbon nanotubes comprise a plurality of first carbon nanotubes or a plurality of bundles of first carbon nanotubes; and
a second set of carbon nanotubes, wherein:
the second set of carbon nanotubes comprise a plurality of second carbon nanotubes or a plurality of bundles of second carbon nanotubes; and
the second set of carbon nanotubes has one or more properties different from the first set of carbon nanotubes.
13 . The electrode of claim 12 , wherein the first set of carbon nanotubes comprises multi-wall nanotubes.
14 . The electrode of claim 12 , wherein the second set of carbon nanotubes comprises single wall nanotubes.
15 . The electrode of claim 12 , wherein:
the first set of carbon nanotubes comprises multi-wall carbon nanotubes;
the second set of carbon nanotubes comprises single-wall carbon nanotubes; and
a ratio of an amount by weight of the first set of carbon nanotubes to the second set of carbon nanotubes is about 2:1.
16 . The electrode of claim 11 , wherein the network of high aspect ratio carbon elements comprises a set of multi-wall carbon nanotubes.
17 . The electrode of claim 16 , wherein the active layer comprises 0.2-2% of multi-wall carbon nanotubes by weight, or 0.25-1.5% of multi-wall carbon nanotubes by weight.
18 . The electrode of claim 16 , wherein the multi-wall carbon nanotubes are branched carbon nanotubes.
19 . The electrode of claim 16 , wherein the active layer comprises 0.25-1.5% of multi-wall carbon nanotubes by weight.
20 . The electrode of claim 16 , wherein the multi-wall carbon nanotubes are branched, interdigitated, entangled and/or share common walls.
21 . An energy storage device comprising:
an electrolyte; and the electrode of claim 12 , wherein when wetted with the electrolyte the multi-wall nanotubes contained in the first set of carbon nanotubes swell more than the single-wall carbon nanotubes contained in the second set of carbon nanotubes.