Electrical energy storage device containing an electroactive separator
An electrical energy storage device includes a first electrode; a second electrode; a separator; and an electrolyte; where the separator is an electronic insulator; the separator is positioned between the first and second electrodes; the separator includes a first surface proximal to the first electrode and a second surface proximal to the second electrode; the separator is configured to support an electric double layer at the first surface, the second surface, or at both the first surface and the second surface; and the device is an electrical energy storage device.
1. A device comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode;
a separator; and
an electrolyte;
wherein:
the separator is an electronic insulator comprising a solid material having a dielectric constant greater than 100;
the separator is positioned between the first and second electrodes;
the separator comprises a first surface proximal to the first electrode and a second surface proximal to the second electrode;
the separator is configured to support an electric double layer at the first surface, the second surface, or at both the first surface and the second surface; and
the device is an electrical energy storage device.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises:
a composite of a particulate solid material in a polymer matrix; or
a composite of a particulate solid material in a glass matrix.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the separator comprises the
composite of the particulate solid material in a polymer matrix, and the polymer matrix comprises polyvinylidene difluoride, polyvinyl butyral, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethyleneimine, methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, polymethyl methacrylate, a co-polymer of any two or more thereof, or a blend of any two or more thereof.
4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the separator comprises the composite of the particulate solid material in a polymer matrix; and a ratio of particulate material:polymer is from about 1:2 to about 99:1 on a weight basis.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid material comprises: a plurality of ceramic particles or a plurality of sintered ceramic particles.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric constant is less than 100,000.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid material is ferroelectric.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid material comprises BaTiO 3 , PbTiO 3 , PbZr x Ti 1−x O 3 , (Pb 1−x La x )(Zr 1−y Ti y ) 1−0.25x O 3 , Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 , PbNb 2 O 6 , PbBi 2 Nb 2 O 9 , LiNbO 3 , LiTaO 3 , K x Na 1−x NbO 3 , KTa x Nb 1−x O 3 , KH 2 PO 4 , NaKC 4 H 4 O 6 .4H 2 O, or (NH 2 CH 2 COOH) 3 H 2 SO 4 wherein x is from 0 to 1, and y is from 0 to 1.
9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid material comprises BaTiO 3 .
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid material is anti-ferroelectric.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the solid material comprises a sintered particulate material.
12. The device of claim 1 , where the separator has less than 5% porosity.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the separator is non-porous.
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical storage device is an ultracapacitor, a pseudocapacitor, a battery, an ultracapacitor-battery hybrid, or a psuedocapacitor-battery hybrid.
15. The device of claim 1 which is an ultracapacitor.
16. A method of storing electrical energy comprising:
applying an electric potential across the first and second electrodes of the device of claim 1 .
17. The device of claim 1 , wherein the separator is porous.