公开(公告)号：US20200234954A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-23

申请号：US16250491

申请日：2019-01-17

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01L21/02 ,  H01M4/1395 ,  H01M4/134 ,  H01M4/38 ,  H01M4/58 ,  H01M4/1397 ,  H01M4/136

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing semiconductor nanowires having a diameter or thickness from 2 nm to 100 nm, the process comprising: (A) preparing a semiconductor material particulate having a size from 50 nm to 500 μm, selected from Ga, In, Ge, Sn, Pb, P, As, Sb, Bi, Te, a combination thereof, a compound thereof, or a combination thereof with Si; (B) depositing a catalytic metal, in the form of nanoparticles having a size from 1 nm to 100 nm or a coating having a thickness from 1 nm to 100 nm, onto surfaces of the semiconductor material particulate to form a catalyst metal-coated semiconductor material; and (C) exposing the catalyst metal-coated semiconductor material to a high temperature environment, from 100° C. to 2,500° C., for a period of time sufficient to enable a catalytic metal-assisted growth of multiple semiconductor nanowires from the particulate.

公开(公告)号：US20200212426A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-02

申请号：US16238079

申请日：2019-01-02

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/133 ,  H01M4/04 ,  H01M4/1393 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  C01B32/225

Abstract: Provided is an anode particulate or a solid mass of particulates for a lithium battery, the particulate comprising a graphite matrix and a single or a plurality of carbon foam-protected primary particles of an anode active material embedded or dispersed in said graphite matrix, wherein the primary particles of anode active material contain at least one porous particle having a surface pore, internal pore, or both surface and internal pores, having a pore volume of Vpp and a solid volume Va, the carbon foam contains pores having a pore volume Vp, and the volume ratio Vp/Va is from 0.1/1.0 to 5.0/1.0 or a total pore-to-solid volume ratio (Vp+Vpp)/Va is from 0.3/1.0 to 10/1.0 and wherein the carbon foam is physically or chemically connected to the graphite matrix and the primary anode particles. The carbon foam is preferably reinforced with a high-strength material.

公开(公告)号：US10651512B2

公开(公告)日：2020-05-12

申请号：US15638811

申请日：2017-06-30

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M10/39 ,  H01M4/38 ,  H01M4/48 ,  H01M4/136 ,  H01M4/133 ,  H01M10/36 ,  H01M4/1397 ,  H01M4/139 ,  H01M10/0564 ,  H01M10/054 ,  H01M4/13 ,  H01M10/052 ,  H01M4/58 ,  H01M4/62 ,  H01G11/36 ,  H01G11/40 ,  H01M10/056

Abstract: Provided is an alkali metal-sulfur cell comprising: (a) a quasi-solid cathode containing about 30% to about 95% by volume of a cathode active material (a sulfur-containing material), about 5% to about 40% by volume of a first electrolyte containing an alkali salt dissolved in a solvent (but no ion-conducting polymer dissolved therein), and about 0.01% to about 30% by volume of a conductive additive wherein the conductive additive, containing conductive filaments, forms a 3D network of electron-conducting pathways such that the quasi-solid electrode has an electrical conductivity from about 10−6 S/cm to about 300 S/cm; (b) an anode; and (c) an ion-conducting membrane or porous separator disposed between the anode and the quasi-solid cathode; wherein the quasi-solid cathode has a thickness from 200 μm to 100 cm and a cathode active material having an active material mass loading greater than 10 mg/cm2.

公开(公告)号：US10601034B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-24

申请号：US15906207

申请日：2018-02-27

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/00 ,  H01M4/36 ,  H01M4/60 ,  H01M4/52 ,  H01M4/38 ,  H01M4/587 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  H01M4/48 ,  H01M4/02

Abstract: A method of producing a powder mass for a lithium battery, the method comprising: (a) Providing a solution containing a sulfonated elastomer dissolved in a solvent or a precursor in a liquid form or dissolved in a solvent; (b) dispersing a plurality of particles of an anode active material in the solution to form a slurry; and (c) dispensing the slurry and removing the solvent and/or polymerizing/curing the precursor to form the powder mass, wherein the powder mass comprises multiple particulates and at least a particulate is composed of one or a plurality of particles of an anode active material being encapsulated by a thin layer of sulfonated elastomer having a thickness from 1 nm to 10 μm, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 800%, and a lithium ion conductivity from 10−7 S/cm to 5×10−2 S/cm at room temperature.

公开(公告)号：US10593932B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-17

申请号：US15270868

申请日：2016-09-20

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/00 ,  H01M4/1397 ,  H01M4/04 ,  H01M4/66 ,  H01M4/13 ,  H01M4/38 ,  H01M4/139 ,  H01M4/136 ,  H01M4/80 ,  H01M4/58 ,  H01M4/02 ,  H01M10/054 ,  H01M10/052

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a sulfur cathode for a metal-sulfur battery. The process comprises: (a) Preparing a humic acid-derived foam or combined humic acid/graphene-derived foam composed of multiple pores and pore walls, wherein the pore walls contain one or a plurality of hexagonal carbon atomic planes; and (b) Impregnating the foam with sulfur or sulfide in a form of thin particles or coating, having a diameter or thickness less than 500 nm, which are lodged in the pores or deposited on the pore walls of the foam.

公开(公告)号：US10586982B2

公开(公告)日：2020-03-10

申请号：US15665608

申请日：2017-08-01

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/36 ,  H01M4/485 ,  H01M4/525 ,  H01M4/58 ,  H01M10/054

Abstract: Provided is an alkali metal-sulfur cell comprises: (A) an anode comprising (i) an anode active material layer composed of fine particles of a first anode active material, an optional conductive additive, and an optional binder and, prior to assembly of the cell, (ii) a layer of an alkali metal or alkali metal alloy having greater than 50% by weight of lithium, sodium, or potassium therein, wherein the layer of alkali metal or alkali metal alloy is in physical contact with the anode active material layer; (B) a cathode active material layer and an optional cathode current collector, wherein the cathode active material layer contains multiple particulates of a sulfur-containing material selected from a sulfur-carbon hybrid, sulfur-graphite hybrid, sulfur-graphene hybrid, conducting polymer-sulfur hybrid, metal sulfide, sulfur compound, or a combination thereof; and (C) an electrolyte in ionic contact with the anode active material layer and the cathode active material layer.

公开(公告)号：US20200067077A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-27

申请号：US16109142

申请日：2018-08-22

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Baofei Pan ,  Hui He ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/137 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  H01M4/62

Abstract: Provided is a lithium battery cathode electrode comprising multiple particulates of a cathode active material, wherein at least a particulate is composed of one or a plurality of particles of a cathode active material being encapsulated by a thin layer of inorganic filler-reinforced elastomer having from 0.01% to 50% by weight of an inorganic filler dispersed in an elastomeric matrix material based on the total weight of the inorganic filler-reinforced elastomer, wherein the encapsulating thin layer of inorganic filler-reinforced elastomer has a thickness from 1 nm to 10 μm, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, and a lithium ion conductivity from 10−7 S/cm to 5×10−2 S/cm and the inorganic filler has a lithium intercalation potential from 1.1 V to 4.5 V (preferably 1.2-2.5 V) versus Li/Li+.

公开(公告)号：US10566482B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-18

申请号：US13815100

申请日：2013-01-31

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Mingchao Wang ,  Wei Xiong ,  Bor Z. Jang ,  Yi-jun Lin

IPC: H01L31/052

Abstract: This invention provides an inorganic coating-protected unitary graphene material article for concentrated photovoltaic cell heat dissipation. The article comprises at least a layer of unitary graphene material having two primary surfaces and an electrically non-conducting layer of inorganic coating deposited on at least one of the primary surfaces, wherein the unitary graphene material is obtained from heat-treating a graphene oxide gel at a heat treatment temperature higher than 100° C. and contains chemically bonded graphene molecules or chemically merged graphene planes having an inter-graphene spacing no greater than 0.40 nm, preferably less than 0.337 nm, and most preferably less than 0.3346 nm.

公开(公告)号：US20200052350A1

公开(公告)日：2020-02-13

申请号：US16101921

申请日：2018-08-13

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M10/44 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  H01M4/583 ,  H01M4/62 ,  H01M4/66 ,  H01M2/14

Abstract: Provided is a method of improving fast-dischargeability or high rate capability of a lithium secondary battery containing an anode, a cathode, a porous separator disposed between the anode and the cathode, and an electrolyte, wherein the method comprises packing particles of a cathode active material to form a cathode active material layer having interstitial spaces and disposing a lithium ion receptor in the interstitial spaces, configured to receive lithium ions from the anode through the porous separator when the battery is discharged and to enable the lithium ions to enter the particles of cathode active material in a time-delayed manner.

公开(公告)号：US20200028179A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-23

申请号：US16116341

申请日：2018-08-29

Applicant: Nanotek Instruments, Inc.

Inventor： Hui He ,  Aruna Zhamu ,  Bor Z. Jang

IPC: H01M4/62 ,  H01M10/0525 ,  H01M10/054 ,  H01M4/133 ,  H01M4/136 ,  H01M4/134 ,  H01M4/36 ,  H01M4/38 ,  H01M4/58 ,  H01M4/587

Abstract: The invention provides a method of improving the cycle-life of a rechargeable alkali metal-sulfur cell. The method comprises implementing an anode-protecting layer between an anode active material layer and a porous separator/electrolyte, and/or implementing a cathode-protecting layer between a cathode active material and the porous separator/electrolyte, wherein the anode-protecting layer or cathode-protecting layer comprises a conductive sulfonated elastomer composite having from 0.01% to 40% by weight of a conductive reinforcement material and from 0.01% to 40% by weight of an electrochemically stable inorganic filler dispersed in a sulfonated elastomeric matrix material and the protecting layer has a thickness from 1 nm to 100 μm, a fully recoverable tensile strain from 2% to 500%, a lithium ion conductivity from 10−7 S/cm to 5×10−2 S/cm, and an electrical conductivity from 10−7 S/cm to 100 S/cm when measured at room temperature.