Patent attributes
A lithium ion battery that exhibits a significantly improved specific capacity and much longer charge-discharge cycle life. The battery comprises an anode active material that has been prelithiated and pre-pulverized. This anode may be prepared with a method that comprises (a) providing an anode active material; (b) intercalating or absorbing a desired amount of lithium into the anode active material to produce a prelithiated anode active material; (c) comminuting the prelithiated anode active material into fine particles with an average size less than 10 μm (preferably <1 μm and most preferably <200 nm); and (d) combining multiple fine particles of the prelithiated anode active material with a conductive additive and/or a binder material to form the anode. Preferably, the prelithiated particles are protected by a lithium ion-conducting matrix or coating material. Further preferably, the matrix material is reinforced with nano graphene platelets.
