Joint Center for Energy Storage Research announces it has over 30 patents for licensing

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Flow batteries

US10992003 – Air-breathing aqueous sulfur rechargeable batteries

1. An electrochemical apparatus comprising:

a catholyte comprising at least one metal salt dissolved in water, thereby providing at least one metal ion;
an anolyte comprising a polysulfide solution; and
a separator, disposed between the anolyte and the catholyte, permeable to the at least one metal ion,
wherein the catholyte, the anolyte, and/or the separator are configured such that:
during a charging process of the electrochemical apparatus, oxygen is generated in the catholyte, the polysulfide in the polysulfide solution undergoes a reduction reaction in the anolyte, and the at least one metal ion moves from the catholyte to the anolyte, and
during a discharging process of the apparatus, the oxygen is consumed in the catholyte, the polysulfide oxidizes in the anolyte, and the at least one metal ion moves from the anolyte to the catholyte.

Granted in the US. Equivalent, pending applications in Australia, China, Europe, Japan.

Multivalent-ion

US10090519 – Magnesium electrochemical cells

1. An electrochemical cell comprising:

a cathode comprising at least 80 wt % of an early transition metal fluoro-bronze comprising MoO2.8 F0.2 and having a layered structure;
an anode comprising magnesium; and
an electrolyte;
wherein:
the early transition metal fluoro-bronze is configured for intercalation of magnesium ions.

Granted in the US.

Lithium-sulfur

US10319989 – Systems and methods of preparing lithium sulfur electrode using sacrificial template

1. A method for preparing a sulfur electrode comprising:

 (a) combining sulfur powder, at least one lithium salt, and an electrically conductive solid;

 (b) heating the combination of step (a) at a temperature sufficient to melt the sulfur powder but not the lithium salt, thereby causing at least a portion of the sulfur to redistribute in the electrically conductive solid forming a composite;

 (c) cooling the composite to solidify the sulfur; and

 (d) extracting at least a portion of the lithium salt from the composite with a solvent.

17. A sulfur electrode mixture, comprising an electrically conductive solid and at least one lithium salt and sulfur, substantially free of electrolyte, wherein the lithium salt and sulfur are present in particulate form, and the particles of sulfur have a particle size ranging from about 5 nm to about 500 μm.

Granted in the US only.

Solid-state lithium-metal

US10367189 – Anode-free rechargeable battery

1. An assembled rechargeable cell comprising:

 in a state having charge,

 (a) an anode current collector,

 (b) a cathode containing lithium cations intercalated within the cathode,

 (c) a separator positioned between the anode current collector and the cathode,

 (d) a liquid electrolyte including a salt or salt mixture dissolved in a solvent or solvent mixture, wherein the salt or salt mixture comprises lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), lithium hexafluoroarsenate (LiAsF6), lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate (LiCF3SO3), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB), lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB), lithium perchlorate (LiClO4), lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4), or a mixture thereof, wherein the solvent is an ether or solvent mixture which comprises 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), diglyme, triglyme, tetraglyme, diethyl ether, 1,3-dioxolane, 1,4-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran, ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, ethyl methyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, vinylene carbonate, fluoroethylene carbonate, vinyl ethylene carbonate, trimethyl phosphate, triethyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)phosphate, tris(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)phosphite, dimethyl sulfone, ethyl methyl sulfone, sulfolane, sulfoxide, acetonitrile, propionitrile, butyronitrile, or a mixture thereof, wherein the concentration of the lithium cation in the electrolyte is between 3-8 M, wherein the separator is infused with the electrolyte including the salt or salt mixture dissolved in the solvent, and wherein the salt or salt mixture and the solvent or solvent mixture are selected to provide the assembled rechargeable cell with an average Coulombic Efficiency of at least 99% after the first ten cycles, and

 (e) an in situ-formed anode on a surface of the anode current collector facing the separator; and

in an uncharged state,

 (a) the anode current collector, wherein the assembled rechargeable cell does not comprise an anode in the uncharged state,

 (b) the cathode containing lithium cations intercalated within the cathode,

 (c) the separator positioned between the anode current collector and the cathode, and

 (d) the liquid electrolyte including a salt or salt mixture dissolved in a solvent or solvent mixture.

Granted in the US only.