Organic Sulfinate Pre-Lithiation for Residue-Free Battery Cathodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lithium/sodium battery technologies face issues of insufficient energy density due to irreversible side reactions during charge/discharge, leading to significant capacity loss and low initial coulombic efficiency, with current pre-embedding methods either being costly, unsafe, or reducing energy density through residual by-products.
Innovation Solution
A pre-embedding agent with an organic sulfinate structure is used to pre-embed lithium/sodium in the positive electrode, which generates gaseous by-products that can be fully discharged, maintaining high energy density and stability, and can be applied through electrolyte addition or electrode coating methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If lithium sources are directly introduced through the negative electrode, then pre-embedding efficiency is improved, but process complexity, cost, and safety deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a lithium source compound as an intermediary substance that can be added through the positive electrode. This compound contains lithium that can be released during battery operation, serving as a mediator to achieve lithium pre-embedding without directly introducing lithium through the negative electrode, thus resolving the contradiction between pre-embedding efficiency and process complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The lithium source compound is pre-loaded into the positive electrode structure before battery assembly. This preliminary action ensures that lithium is already positioned within the electrode, enabling controlled release during initial charging cycles to compensate for lithium loss, thereby achieving high pre-embedding efficiency through advance preparation rather than complex process requirements
2Ease of manufacture
If lithium sources are added through the positive electrode, then safety and process simplicity are improved, but energy density deteriorates due to by-product residues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the lithium source compound to ensure complete decomposition and release of lithium without leaving residual by-products. By selecting compounds with specific molecular structures and decomposition characteristics, the system achieves both simple processing and high energy density, as the lithium source fully converts to active lithium and volatile by-products during initial charging
Solution Approach 2:
The lithium source compound undergoes phase transition from solid state in the electrode to gaseous by-products during decomposition. This phase transition mechanism ensures that decomposition products can be fully discharged from the battery system, preventing residue accumulation that would reduce energy density, while maintaining the simplicity of adding the compound through the positive electrode
3Reliability
If conventional lithium compensation methods are used, then lithium loss is compensated, but by-products remain in the battery reducing energy density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transition of the lithium source compound during decomposition, where solid-state lithium source converts to gaseous by-products that can be fully discharged. This ensures complete lithium release without residual by-products in the battery, resolving the contradiction between effective lithium compensation and maintenance of high energy density
Solution Approach 2:
The lithium source compound acts as a disposable consumable material that is completely consumed during the initial charging process. It serves its purpose of lithium compensation and then decomposes fully into volatile by-products, leaving no permanent residues in the battery system, thus maintaining high energy density while achieving reliable lithium compensation
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 organic pre-embedding agent ensures high specific capacity, moderate electric potential, and good compatibility with battery systems, allowing for safe, cost-effective, and large-scale production with minimal residual components, enhancing energy density and cycle performance.
Implementation Method 1
the negative ion oxidation potential is lower than 4.3 V relative to lithium metal and lower than 4 V relative to sodium metal, both of which are within the normal operating voltage range of lithium batteries or sodium batteries
Implementation Method 2
which can be proved by the fact that the by-products generated during the electrochemical reaction of the positive and negative ions are balanced, and the by-products can be fully discharged as gases
Data Source
Figure 1a~3b
Figure 4~5b
Figure 6~8
AI summary
The present invention provides a pre-embedding agent using organic sulfinate as a framework for pre-embedding lithium or sodium, a pre-embedded lithium positive electrode, a pre-embedded sodium positive electrode, a secondary battery, and a method for pre-embedding lithium or sodium using the pre-embedding agent. The pre-embedding agent of the present invention has a high specific capacity, excellent stability, is free of residues, has excellent compatibility with a battery system, and can be well applied to lithium or sodium ion secondary batteries. A pre-embedding process of the method for pre-embedding lithium or sodium of the present invention is safe and convenient, the process is simple, the costs are low, and large-scale production can be achieved.