Nano-Grained C60 Fullerene Anode for High-Capacity Metal Batteries
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Solution Overview
Problem
The practical use of C60 fullerene in metal secondary batteries is hindered by its insolubility in most solvents and the need for chemical bonding or cross-linking, which compromises its intrinsic properties and results in lower specific capacity compared to theoretical limits.
Innovation Solution
A method involving pulverization of pure C60 fullerene followed by heating in a nitrogen or argon atmosphere to produce nano-grained fullerene deposits, which are then used as an anode active material, maintaining the material's inherent electrochemical properties and enhancing specific capacity and coulombic efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pure C60 fullerene is used as anode active material, then specific capacity approaches theoretical value (446 mAh/g), but handling difficulty arises due to insolubility in most solvents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of fullerene from bulk solid to vapor phase through heating, enabling deposition as nano-grained material. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by maintaining pure C60's high specific capacity while creating a handleable nano-grained deposit form that can be directly applied as anode material without requiring chemical modification for solubility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of fullerene from solid to vapor through heating under inert atmosphere, then condenses it into nano-grained deposits. This phase transition approach allows pure C60 to be processed into a handleable form while preserving its intrinsic electrochemical properties and achieving high specific capacity.
2Ease of manufacture
If C60 fullerene is chemically bonded or cross-linked with other materials, then handling ease improves, but intrinsic properties of fullerene are compromised and specific capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the handling difficulty aspect from the fullerene material itself by transforming it into vapor and depositing it as nano-grained material. This separation allows the intrinsic properties of pure C60 to be preserved while the physical form is changed to improve handleability, avoiding the need for chemical bonding that would compromise specific capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vapor phase as an intermediary state between bulk solid fullerene and the final anode material form. This intermediary phase allows transformation of pure C60 into handleable nano-grained deposits without chemical modification, preserving the intrinsic properties while improving ease of manufacture.
3Ease of manufacture
If other fullerene structures are mixed and used instead of pure C60, then handling ease improves, but specific capacity remains much lower than theoretical specific capacity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying fullerene structures to improve handling (as done in conventional approaches), the patent inverts the approach by transforming pure C60 into a different physical form (vapor-phase deposited nano-grained material) that is inherently easier to handle while preserving its high specific capacity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The nano-grained C60 fullerene anode active material exhibits excellent specific capacity and high coulombic efficiency even after 1,000 charge/discharge cycles, suitable for use in metal secondary batteries, with improved electron and ion transport due to uniform particle size.
Implementation Method 1
heating the pulverized fullerene compound under a nitrogen or argon atmosphere; and obtaining a fullerene deposit evaporated by heating
Implementation Method 2
obtaining a fullerene deposit evaporated by heating
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an anode active material, containing fullerene, for a metal secondary battery and a metal secondary battery using the same. When the anode active material for a metal secondary battery of the present invention is nano-grained and used for an anode of a metal secondary battery, it has inherent electrochemical properties of C60 fullerene so that excellent specific capacity was exhibited and enables high coulombic efficiency to be exhibited even after not less than 1,000 redox cycles so that it is suitable for use in the anode for a metal secondary battery.