Preparation of polymeric resins and carbon materials

Abstract

The present application is directed to methods for preparation of carbon materials. The carbon materials comprise enhanced electrochemical properties and find utility in any number of electrical devices, for example, as electrode material in ultracapacitors or batteries.

1 - 54 . (canceled) 
     
     
         55 . A method of fabricating an electrode material comprising a plurality of composite particles, the method comprising:
 a. forming porous carbon particles by:
 i. pyrolyzing a polymer to form a carbon particle; 
 ii. activating the carbon particle to form an activated carbon particle; and 
 iii. performing a particle size reduction of the activated carbon particle to form the porous carbon particle; 
   b. introducing an electrochemical modifier into the pores of the porous carbon particles; and   c. disposing the electrochemical modifier onto a surface of the pores of the porous carbon particles to form the composite particles; and   wherein the porous carbon particles comprises less than 500 ppm of all atoms having a molecular weight between 11 and 92, as measured by photon induced x-ray emissions.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the porous carbon particles comprise a maximum theoretical capacitance greater than 21 F/cm3 as measured at a current density of 0.5 Amp/g employing an electrolyte comprising tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the porous carbon particles comprises a maximum theoretical capacitance greater than 23 F/cm3. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the porous carbon particles have a GM greater than or equal to 21 and wherein GM is measured as a ratio of a BET specific surface area of the porous carbon particles and the pore volume of the porous carbon particles multiplied by 100. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein the porous carbon particles have a GM greater than 23. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the electrochemical modifier is introduced into the pores of the porous carbon particles through the vapor phase by contacting the carbon particle with a gas comprising a precursor for a time sufficient to achieve conversion of the precursor to the electrochemical modifier. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein the precursor comprises silicon. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the electrochemical modifier is silicon. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the electrochemical modifier comprises between 0.5% and 99.5% by weight of the composite particles. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the electrochemical modifier comprises 25% to 95% weight percent of the composite particles. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the composite particles have a Dv50 of less than 1 mm and a span of 3 or less, wherein span is defined as (Dv,90−Dv,10)/Dv,50 where Dv,10, Dv,50, and Dv,90 refer to the pore size at 10%, 50%, and 90% of the distribution by volume. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising decomposing from a gas phase carbon, a carbon deposit disposed on the surface of the composite particles. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the gas phase carbon is a hydrocarbon. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the carbon deposit is between 1 nm and 50 nm thick. 
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 66 , wherein the carbon deposit is less than 5 nm thick. 
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the porous carbon particles are substantially spherical. 
     
     
         71 . A method of fabricating a battery anode material comprising a plurality of composite particles, each particle in the plurality of composite particles comprising a porous carbon particle and an electrochemical modifier incorporated into the pores of the porous carbon particle by the method comprising:
 a. Forming a porous carbon particle by:
 i. pyrolyzing a polymer to form a carbon particle; 
 ii. activating the carbon particle to form an activated carbon particle; and 
 iii. performing a particle size reduction of the activated carbon particle to form the porous carbon particle; 
   b. introducing an electrochemical modifier into the pores of the porous carbon particle;   c. disposing the electrochemical modifier into the pores of the porous carbon particle to form a composite particle; and   d. decomposing from a gas phase carbon, a carbon deposit disposed onto the surface of the composite particles; and   wherein the porous carbon particles comprises less than 500 ppm of all atoms having a molecular weight between 11 and 92, as measured by photon induced x-ray emissions.   
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein a plurality of the porous carbon particles comprise a maximum theoretical capacitance greater than 21 F/cm3 as measured at a current density of 0.5 Amp/g employing an electrolyte comprising tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 56  wherein the plurality of porous carbon particles comprises a maximum theoretical capacitance greater than 23 F/cm3. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein a plurality of the porous carbon particles have a GM greater than or equal to 21 and wherein GM is measured as a ratio of a BET specific surface area of the porous carbon particles and the pore volume of the porous carbon particles multiplied by 100.