High capacity electrode materials for batteries and process for their manufacture

Abstract

The present invention provides a nanostructured metal oxide material for use as a component of an electrode in a lithium-ion or sodium-ion battery. The material comprises a nanostructured titanium oxide or vanadium oxide film on a metal foil substrate, produced by depositing or forming a nanostructured titanium dioxide or vanadium oxide material on the substrate, and then, optionally, charging and discharging the material in an electrochemical cell from a high voltage in the range of about 2.8 to 3.8 V, to a low voltage in the range of about 0.8 to 1.4 V over a period of about 1/30 of an hour or less. Lithium-ion and sodium-ion electrochemical cells comprising electrodes formed from the nanostructured metal oxide materials, as well as batteries formed from the cells, also are provided.

Specific embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is covered are defined as follows: 
     
         1 . A nanostructured metal oxide electrode for use in a sodium-ion battery, the electrode comprising a nanostructured film of bilayered V 2 O 5  on a metal foil substrate. 
     
     
         2 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the bilayered V 2 O 5  is amorphous and the layers thereof have an interlayer spacing of greater than about 12 Å. 
     
     
         3 . The electrode of  claim 2 , wherein the bilayered V 2 O 5  is produced by electrochemical deposition from a VO 2+  salt solution onto the metal foil substrate, and drying the deposited film to remove water therefrom. 
     
     
         4 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the bilayered V 2 O 5  comprises nanostructured crystalline bilayered V 2 O 5  produced by electrochemical deposition from a VO 2+  salt solution onto the metal foil substrate to form an amorphous bilayered V 2 O 5  film, drying the film, and then charging and discharging the dried film in an electrochemical cell from a high voltage in the range of about 3.3 to 3.8 V, to a low voltage in the range of about 1.4 to 1.6 V, over a period of about 1/30 of an hour or less. 
     
     
         5 . The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises nickel or stainless steel. 
     
     
         6 . A sodium-ion electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an anode and a nonaqueous sodium-containing electrolyte therebetween, wherein the anode comprises the electrode of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . A sodium-ion battery comprising a plurality of electrochemically linked electrochemical cells of  claim 6 . 
     
     
         8 . A sodium-ion electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an anode and a nonaqueous sodium-containing electrolyte therebetween, wherein the anode comprises the nanostructured vanadium oxide electrode of  claim 2 . 
     
     
         9 . A sodium-ion battery comprising a plurality of electrochemically linked electrochemical cells of  claim 8 . 
     
     
         10 . A sodium-ion electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an anode and a nonaqueous sodium-containing electrolyte therebetween, wherein the anode comprises the nanostructured vanadium oxide electrode of  claim 4 . 
     
     
         11 . A sodium-ion battery comprising a plurality of electrochemically linked electrochemical cells of  claim 10 . 
     
     
         12 . A sodium-ion electrochemical cell comprising a cathode, an anode and a nonaqueous sodium-containing electrolyte therebetween, wherein the anode comprises a film of densely packed amorphous TiO 2  nanotubes on a surface of a metal foil substrate; and wherein the densely packed nanotubes have a wall thickness of about 18 to 25 nm and an outer tubular diameter of about 100 to 150 nm. 
     
     
         13 . The sodium-ion electrochemical cell of  claim 12 , wherein the substrate is a titanium foil. 
     
     
         14 . The sodium-ion electrochemical cell of  claim 12 , wherein the densely packed TiO 2  nanotubes are oriented perpendicular to the surface of the metal foil substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The sodium-ion electrochemical cell of  claim 12 , wherein the substrate is a titanium foil, and the densely packed amorphous TiO 2  nanotubes are produced by electrochemical anodization of a surface of the titanium foil, and subsequently drying the film to remove water therefrom. 
     
     
         16 . The sodium-ion electrochemical cell of  claim 15 , wherein the densely packed TiO 2  nanotubes are oriented perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         17 . A sodium-ion battery comprising a plurality of electrochemically linked electrochemical cells of  claim 12 . 
     
     
         18 . A sodium-ion battery comprising a plurality of electrochemically linked electrochemical cells of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         19 . A sodium-ion battery comprising a plurality of electrochemically linked electrochemical cells of  claim 15 . 
     
     
         20 . A sodium-ion battery comprising a plurality of electrochemically linked electrochemical cells of  claim 16 .