Claims
- 1. An electrode for use in an electrochemical cell, comprising:a current collector; an active material associated with the current collector, wherein the active material comprises a transition metal oxide having a surface; and means for increasing compatibility of the surface of the active material with respect to an associated electrolyte, wherein the compatibility increasing means comprises an inorganic lithium salt and organic R group associated with the inorganic lithium salt, whereby a chemical bond represented by —O—M(OR)n is formed on said surface of the active material, wherein M is a metal atom, and wherein n is an integer ranging from 2 to 3.
- 2. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the R group is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic or aromatic cyclic or acyclic hydrocarbons comprising an aliphatic or aromatic ether, thioether, ester or other heteroatom which is stable to reduction and/or oxidation and which promotes electrolyte/interface interactions.
- 3. The electrode according to claim 1, wherein the chemical bond represented by —O—M(OR)n formed on said surface of the active material is formed by treating the transitional metal oxide with a lithium metal hydride salt and reacting the treated transitional metal oxide with organic R group species.
- 4. An electrode for use in an electrochemical cell, comprising:a current collector; an active material associated with the current collector, wherein the active material comprises a transition metal oxide having a surface; and means for increasing compatibility of the surface of the active material with respect to an associated electrolyte, wherein the compatibility increasing means comprises a lithium salt of saccharin.
- 5. The electrode according to claim 4, wherein the lithium salt of saccharin is adsorbed onto the surface of the transition metal oxide.
- 6. An electrochemical cell, comprising:a first electrode, a second electrode and an electrolyte, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes includes: a current collector; an active material associated with the current collector, wherein the active material comprises a transition metal oxide having a surface; and means for increasing compatibility of the surface of the active material with respect to an associated electrolyte, wherein the compatibility increasing means comprises an inorganic lithium salt and organic R group associated with the inorganic lithium salt, whereby a chemical bond represented by —O—M(OR)n is formed on said surface of the active material wherein, M is a metal atom, and wherein n is an integer ranging from 2 to 3.
- 7. The electrochemical cell according to claim 6, wherein the R group is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic or aromatic cyclic or acyclic hydrocarbons comprising an aliphatic or aromatic ether, thioether, ester or other heteroatom which is stable to reduction and/or oxidation and which promotes electrolyte/interface interactions.
- 8. The electrochemical cell according to claim 6, wherein the chemical bond represented by —O—M(OR)n formed on said surface of the active material is formed by treating the transitional metal oxide with a lithium metal hydride salt and reacting the treated transitional metal oxide with organic R group species.
- 9. An electrochemical cell, comprising:a first electrode, a second electrode and an electrolyte, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes includes: a current collector; an active material associated with the current collector, wherein the active material comprises a transition metal oxide having a surface; and means for increasing compatibility of the surface of the active material with respect to an associated electrolyte, wherein the compatibility increasing means comprises a lithium salt of saccharin.
- 10. The electrochemical cell according to claim 9, wherein the lithium salt of saccharin is adsorbed onto the surface of the transition metal oxide.
- 11. A process for fabricating an electrode for use in an electrochemical cell, comprising the steps of:applying an active material onto a current collector, wherein the active material comprises a transition metal oxide having a surface, and wherein the surface is compatible with an associated electrolyte; and increasing the compatibility of the surface of the transition metal oxide with respect to an associated electrolyte by forming a chemical bond represented by —O—M(OR)n on said surface of the active material, wherein M is a metal atom, and wherein n is an integer ranging from 2 to 3.
- 12. The process according to claim 11, wherein the step of forming a chemical bond represented by —O—M(OR)n on said surface of the active material comprises the steps of:chemically bonding an inorganic lithium salt with the surface of the transition metal oxide; and associating an organic R group with the inorganic lithium salt.
- 13. The process according to claim 12, wherein the R group is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic or aromatic cyclic or acyclic hydrocarbons comprising an aliphatic or aromatic ether, thioether, ester or other heteroatom which is stable to reduction and/or oxidation and which promotes electrolyte/interface interactions.
- 14. The process according to claim 11 further comprising the step of:associating the fabricated electrode with an electrolyte and another electrode so as to form an electrochemical cell.
- 15. A process for fabricating an electrode for use in an electrochemical cell, comprising the steps of:applying an active material onto a current collector, wherein the active material comprises a transition metal oxide having a surface, and wherein the surface is compatible with an associated electrolyte; and increasing the compatibility of the surface of the transition metal oxide, by adsorbing a lithium salt of saccharin onto the surface of the transition metal oxide.
- 16. The process according to claim 15, wherein the step of adsorbing comprises the step of:mixing the lithium salt of saccharin with a solvent; associating the mixture with the surface of the transition metal oxide; and evaporating the solvent.
Parent Case Info
This application depends from Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/061,968 entitled CATHODE MODIFICATION USING SURFACE BONDED Li+SALTS, filed Oct. 14, 1997; and from Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/064,751 entitled ELECTRODE MODIFICATION USING SURFACE BONDED ORGANOMETALLIC SALTS AND ASSOCIATED PROCESS FOR ELECTROLYTIC CELLS, filed Oct. 22, 1997.
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Oct 1997 |
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