Browsing by Author "Salvatierra, Rodrigo Villegas"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Alkali-metal anode with alloy coating applied by friction
    (2024-05-14) Tour, James M.; Salvatierra, Rodrigo Villegas; Luong, Duy Xuan; Rice University; United States Patent and Trademark Office
    An electrochemical cell with a lithium-metal anode that suppresses dendrite formation and can be fabricated using a simple, inexpensive, and solvent-free process. The anode is coated with a layer of disordered nanomaterial, saturated with lithium ions, that suppresses dendrite formation during charging. The dendrite-suppression coating can be applied simply using a dry, abrasive technique in which the lithium-metal anode is alternately abraded to roughen the surface and polished using a polishing powder of a material that alloys with the lithium.
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    Anodes, cathodes, and separators for batteries and methods to make and use same
    (2024-09-10) Tour, James M.; Salvatierra, Rodrigo Villegas; Silva, Gladys Anahi Lopez; Rice University; United States Patent and Trademark Office
    Anodes, cathodes, and separators for batteries (electrochemical energy storage devices). The anodes are Li metal anodes having lithiated carbon films (Li-MWCNT) (as dendrite suppressors and protective coatings for the Li metal anodes). The cathodes are sulfurized carbon cathodes. The separators are GNR-coated (or modified) separators. The invention includes each of these separately (as well as in combination both with each other and with other anodes, cathodes, and separators) and the methods of making each of these separately (and in combination). The invention further includes a battery that uses at least one of (a) the anode having a lithiated carbon film, (b) the sulfurized carbon cathode, and (c) the GNR-modified separator in the anode/cathode/separator arrangement. For instance, a full battery can include the sulfurized carbon cathode in combination with the Li-MWCNT anode or a full battery can include the sulfurized carbon cathode in combination with other anodes (such as a GCNT-Li anode).
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    Facile preparation of carbon nanotube hybrid materials by catalyst solutions
    (2024-08-13) Tour, James M.; Salvatierra, Rodrigo Villegas; Zakhidov, Dante; Sha, Junwei; Rice University; United States Patent and Trademark Office
    Embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making a carbon nanotube hybrid material by depositing a catalyst solution onto a carbon-based material, and growing carbon nanotubes on the carbon-based material such that the grown carbon nanotubes become covalently linked to the carbon-based material through carbon-carbon bonds. The catalyst solution includes a metal component (e.g., iron) and a buffer component (e.g., aluminum) that may be in the form of particles. The metal component of the particle may be in the form of a metallic core or metallic oxide core while the buffer component may be on a surface of the metal component in the form of metal or metal oxides. Further embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to the catalytic particles and carbon nanotube hybrid materials. The carbon nanotube hybrid materials of the present disclosure may be incorporated as electrodes (e.g., anodes or cathodes) in energy storage devices.
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    Sulfurized carbon cathodes
    (2023-03-14) Tour, James M.; Salvatierra, Rodrigo Villegas; Silva, Gladys Anahi Lopez; Raji, Abdul-rahman O.; Rice University; William Marsh Rice University; United States Patent and Trademark Office
    Alkali metal-sulfur cells and batteries with cathode layers that store alkali metal charge carriers (e.g., lithium ions) in agglomerates of sulfurized carbon. The cathode layers lack costly and environmentally unfriendly nickel and cobalt. The cathode layers are composites that include agglomerates of sulfurized-carbon particles in a conductive binder and interconnected by sp2-bonded carbon materials, such as carbon nanotubes or nanoribbons, that extend within the agglomerates and between the sulfurized-carbon particles.