ELECTRODES FOR ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES

1 . An electrode, 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.

2 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein network of high aspect ratio carbon elements comprises:

a first set of carbon nanotubes, wherein the first set of carbon nanotubes comprises 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.

3 . The electrode of claim 2 , wherein the first set of carbon nanotubes comprises multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

4 . The electrode of claim 2 , wherein the second set of carbon nanotubes comprises single-wall carbon nanotubes.

5 . The electrode of claim 2 , 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. +

6 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the network of high aspect ratio carbon elements comprises a set of multi-wall carbon nanotubes.

7 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the active layer comprises between 0.25% and 1.5% of multi-wall carbon nanotubes by weight of the active layer.

8 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the active layer comprises between 0.2% and 2% of multi-wall carbon nanotubes by weight of the active layer.

9 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the multi-wall carbon nanotubes are branched carbon nanotubes.

10 . The electrode of claim 6 , wherein the multi-wall carbon nanotubes are branched, interdigitated, entangled and/or share common walls.

11 . An energy storage device comprising:

an electrolyte; and

the electrode of claim 5 , wherein wetted with the electrolyte the multi-wall nanotubes comprised in the first set of carbon nanotubes swell more than the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprised in the second set of carbon nanotubes.

12 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the multi-wall carbon nanotubes comprise:

an average diameter of between 6 nm and 10 nm;

an average wall thickness of between 6 nm and 7 nm; and

an average length of about 16 micron.

13 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprise:

an average diameter of between 1 nm and 2 nm;

an average length of about 5 micron.

14 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprise:

an average diameter of between 3 nm and 5 nm; and

an average length of at least 200 micron.

15 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprise:

an average diameter of between 3 nm and 5 nm; and

an average length of between 7 and 8 micron.

16 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprise on average 1 or 2 layers of walls.

17 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprise:

an average diameter of between 5 nm and 6 nm;

an average length of between 7 and 8 micron.

18 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein the single-wall carbon nanotubes comprise:

a range of lengths between 1 nm and 34 nm;

an average length of between 7 and 8 micron.

19 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein after wetted with an electrolyte an average thickness of the electrode increases less than 10%.

20 . The electrode of claim 5 , wherein a first average aspect ratio of the first set of carbon nanotubes is larger than a second average aspect ratio of the second set of carbon nanotubes.