Yolk-shell-structured material, anode material, anode, and battery

Abstract

A yolk-shell-structured material ( 16, 59, 59 a, 74 ) is disclosed as including a plurality of silicon nano-particles ( 12, 54, 54 a, 62 ) and a cavity ( 16, 60, 80, 84 ) enclosed by a micron-sized shell ( 18, 72 ) made of carbon nano-particles ( 14, 56, 58 ). The yolk-shell structured material is formed as a micron-sized shell ( 18 ) made of carbon nano-particles ( 14 ) by (a) providing a micron-sized cornstarch core ( 10 ), (b) forming a layer of nano silicon-particle ( 12 ) on the cornstarch core ( 10 ), (c) forming a micron-sized shell ( 18 ) of carbon nano-particles ( 14 ) on the layer of nano silicon-particle ( 12 ), and (d) removing the cornstarch core ( 10 ) by heating.

1 . A yolk-shell-structured material including a plurality of submicron-sized particles of a first material and at least one cavity enclosed by a micron-sized shell made of a second material which is different from the first material. 
     
     
         2 . A material according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of submicron-sized particles of said first material include at least a plurality of nano-sized particles. 
     
     
         3 . A material according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of submicron-sized particles of said first material include at least a plurality of silicon particles. 
     
     
         4 . A material according to  claim 3 , wherein said plurality of silicon particles include at least a plurality of amorphous silicon particles. 
     
     
         5 . A material according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of submicron-sized particles of said first material include at least a plurality of electro-active materials. 
     
     
         6 . A material according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of submicron-sized particles of said first material include at least one of a polymeric material, metallic material, ceramic material, elemental material, ferric species and fullerene materials. 
     
     
         7 . A material according to  claim 1 , wherein said micron-sized shell is made of a plurality of carbon nano-particles. 
     
     
         8 . A material according to  claim 1 , wherein said micron-sized shell is poreless, porous or mesoporous. 
     
     
         9 . A material according to  claim 1 , wherein a diameter of said micro-sized shell is at least 100 times the diameter of said submicron-sized particles. 
     
     
         10 . A material according to  claim 1 , wherein said micron-sized shell is made of at least a first layer of polymeric, metallic, ceramic, elemental nano-particles and a second layer of polymeric, metallic, ceramic, or elemental nano-particles. 
     
     
         11 . An anode material including at least a yolk-shell-structured material according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . An anode at least partly including at least an anode material according to  claim 11 . 
     
     
         13 . An electric battery with an anode according to  claim 12 .