Immobilized selenium, a method of making, and uses of immobilized selenium in a rechargeable battery

US10734638B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• II-VI DELAWARE, INC. · US
• Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences · CN

Inventors

• Elgin E. Eissler · Renfrew, US
• Wen-Qing Xu · Sarver, US
• Xiaoming Li · Irvine, US
• Yancheng Zhang · State College, US
• Shailesh Patkar · Irwin, US
• Giovanni Barbarossa · Saratoga, US
• Yu-Guo Guo · Stuttgart, DE
• Shuaifeng Zhang · Beijing, CN
• Yaxia Yin · Beijing, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 16, 2017
• Grant date: Aug 4, 2020
• Expiry date: May 9, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02E60/10
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An immobilized selenium body, made from carbon and selenium and optionally sulfur, makes selenium more stable, requiring a higher temperature or an increase in kinetic energy for selenium to escape from the immobilized selenium body and enter a gas system, as compared to selenium alone. Immobilized selenium localized in a carbon skeleton can be utilized in a rechargeable battery. Immobilization of the selenium can impart compression stress on both the carbon skeleton and the selenium. Such compression stress enhances the electrical conductivity in the carbon skeleton and among the selenium particles and creates an interface for electrons to be delivered and or harvested in use of the battery. A rechargeable battery made from immobilized selenium can be charged or discharged at a faster rate over conventional batteries and can demonstrate excellent cycling stability.