Abstract:
A high polymer solution used as a negative electrode material is provided in the present application. The high polymer solution comprises a compound prepared from metal ions and acid ions, high polymer and solvent, and each of them has a concentration of 0.1 mol/L to 10 mol/L. A negative electrode material and a negative electrode both with a material formed by said high polymer solution are also provided.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 201010585294.0, filed on Dec. 13, 2010, entitled “High Polymer Solution, Negative Electrode Material And Negative Electrode” by Chungpin Liao, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an electrode material, and more particularly to a high polymer solution, a negative electrode material and a negative electrode. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In recent years, mobile phones, portable cameras, notebooks, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs), CD players, as well as other portable electronic devices, are becoming popular owing to their lightweight and small size. As a consequence, batteries used to power these portable devices have also become the focus of public concern. There are different types of batteries, including dry batteries, alkaline batteries, nickel-hydrogen batteries, etc. In the following, a brief introduction is given to the most commonly adopted batteries, and in particular, to their negative electrode materials. 
         [0004]    The zinc-manganese battery, also known as the zinc-carbon battery, is one of the most common types of dry batteries. The key feature for a typical such battery is that there is a cylindrical zinc pot surrounding the negative pole for the storage of chemicals, such as the electrolyte solution. 
         [0005]    Within typical nickel-hydrogen batteries, hydrogen storage alloy is adopted as the negative electrode material, which plays a key role in the electricity releasing performance of such batteries. 
         [0006]    In a fuel cell, the electrolyte substance, serving as the filter for moving ions, is filled in-between the porous positive electrodes and the negative electrodes. To ignite the desired chemical reaction, normally the positive and the negative electrodes would need the supply of air (oxygen) and hydrogen, respectively. 
         [0007]    Although some new types of zinc-carbon batteries, alkaline batteries, and secondary batteries are allegedly environment-benign, they in fact largely contain substantial amounts of mercury and other heavy metals, such as the cobalt. Other than that, environmental pollutants are frequently used or released during the manufacturing processes of such batteries. 
         [0008]    Lithium batteries, though widely adopted as the largest energy content among portable batteries, are unstable in the electrochemical reactions. In the worst case, explosions occur due to thermal runaway as the result of operating at low load or under improper assemblage. Therefore, multiple and complex protection mechanisms would need to be implemented for their usage, such as the installation of a protection circuit, an exhaust vent, and separation membranes, etc. 
         [0009]    The price of the lithium batteries rises rapidly as a result of the depletion of lithium mineral, which is the main raw material of the positive electrode (such as Li 1-x CoO 2 ) and the negative electrode (such as Li x C) of lithium batteries. Furthermore, the performance and life of the lithium batteries decrease rapidly within a high temperature environment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention provides a high polymer solution, a negative electrode material and a negative electrode that may function to adjust the physical and chemical properties of the element. The advantages of the present invention will be understood more readily after a consideration of the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein: 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an organic negative electrode according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an organic negative electrode according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an organic negative electrode according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating a manufacturing process of the organic negative electrode of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating a manufacturing process of the organic negative electrode of  FIG. 2 ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating a manufacturing process of the organic negative electrode of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe an exemplary embodiment in detail. 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the organic negative electrode  10  includes a first element  11 , a second element  12  formed on the first element  11 , and a third element  13  formed on the second element  12 . 
         [0020]    The first element  11  comprises a conductive material. The conductive material can be a metal or a metallic compound or a conductive polymeric material. The metal includes aluminum, gold, or the like. The metallic compound can be selected from the group consisting of manganese protoxide, zinc oxide, and magnesium oxide. The conductive polymeric material can be selected from the group consisting of heterocycle or aromatic heterocyclic compound. Preferably, the conductive material can be selected from the group consisting of polyacetylene, poly (arylene vinylene), polythiophene, polyaniline, polypyrrole, and the derivatives thereof. Alternately, an insulating material can be added into the conductive material. 
         [0021]    The second element  12  is prepared from a high polymer solution and formed on the first element  11 . The high polymer solution is used as an adhesive material sticking to the first element  11 , and hence the third element  13  can properly adhere to the first element  11 . The high polymer solution further functions to adjust the physical and chemical properties of the first element  11 . For instance, the high polymer solution can adjust a work function of the first element  11  so as to achieve a desired potential difference, such as about 1.5V, between the positive electrode and the negative electrode of a battery. Moreover, the electric conductivity of the high polymer solution is within a range of about 50 ms/cm to about 250 ms/cm. The high polymer solution may comprise elements selected from the group consisting of boron, magnesium, aluminum calcium, manganese, and zinc. 
         [0022]    The high polymer solution is prepared from a compound of metal ions and acid ions, high polymer, and solvent each with a concentration from about 0.1 mol/L to about 10 mol/L. The high polymer can be a high polymer of glucose. The high polymer of glucose can be selected from the group consisting of potato starch, water chestnut starch, corn starch, sweet potato starch, lotus root starch, mustard powder, and pueraria powder. The compound of metal ions and acid ions can be calcium carbonate. The compound of metal ions and acid ions can be natural phytochemicals, including lignans, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, flavonoids, iridoids, fatty acids, scopoletin, catechin, beta-sitosterol, damnacanthal, and alkaloids. The solvent can be water. The pH value of the high polymer solution is about 5.5 to 8. The high polymer solution may further comprise vitamin, such as vitamin D. 
         [0023]    The third element  13  comprises chlorophyll and is formed on the second element  12 . The chlorophyll can be selected from the group consisting of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, chlorophyll c1, chlorophyll c2, chlorophyll d, and chlorophyll e. Typically, the chlorophyll, from which the chlorophyll oxidase may have been removed, can be in powder or in liquid form. 
         [0024]    The first element  11 , the second element  12 , and the third element  13  each can be made into a membrane to enlarge the contact area of the chlorophyll so as to increase the response area of the battery, and subsequently the utilization rate of the chlorophyll. Alternately, any known method can be used to increase the utilization rate of the chlorophyll and enlarge the contact area. It is noted that the third material  13  may alternatively be a part of the second material  12  to achieve the same effect. 
         [0025]    When the organic negative electrode of a battery operates, the reaction center of chlorophyll in the negative electrode material releases electrons as it receives light, touches the electrolyte, if any, or is electrically connected with the positive electrode. The potential difference occurs between the positive electrode and the negative electrode when the electrons migrate to the positive electrode of the battery. A continuous current results when a conducting wire and a load electrically connect the positive electrode to the negative electrode. 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the organic negative electrode  20 , according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, may comprise a first element  21 , a second element  22 , a third element  23 , and an additional material  24 . 
         [0027]    The configuration of the first element  21 , the second element  22 , and the third element  23  are substantially the same as that of the first element  11 , the second element  12 , and the third element  13  mentioned above. The additional material  24  that comprises metal shavings can be disposed between the second element  22  and the third element  23 . The metal shavings can be arranged on the contact surface of the third element  23  between the second element  22  by spreading or coating. Alternately the metal shavings may form a separate element between the second element  22  and the third element  23 . The metal shavings could enhance the electrode conductivity of the organic negative electrode. The metal shavings can be elements selected from the group consisting of group II elements, group III elements or group VII elements. The group II elements can be selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium and zinc. The group III elements can be selected from the group consisting of boron and aluminum. The group VII elements can be selected from the group consisting of manganese and ferrum. The weight of the metal shavings, which can be within a range of 0.5 g to 12 g, is about 1% to 25% of the weight of the organic negative electrode. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of an organic negative electrode according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the organic negative electrode  30  may comprise a first element  31 , a second element  32 , a third element  33 , an additional material  34 , and a fourth element  35 . The configuration of the first element  31 , the second element  32 , the third element  33 , and the additional material  34  are substantially the same as the configuration of the first element  21 , the second element  22 , the third element  23 , and the additional material  24  mentioned above. 
         [0029]    The fourth element  35  that comprises an organic separation membrane can be disposed between the second element  32  and the third element  33 . The organic separation membrane can be high-fiber materials with adsorbed organic or inorganic salt solution. The high-fiber materials can be paper material, including cellophane, cotton paper, and rice paper. The diametric length of the pore of the high-fiber material prefers to be about 0.01 μm to 1 cm. The electric conductivity of the organic or inorganic salt solution can be about 10 ms/cm to 500 ms/cm. The salt, which is non-lithium salt, can be ionic compounds selected from the group consisting of sodium iodide, sodium chloride and sodium hydroxide. 
         [0030]    A battery could be prepared from the organic negative electrode mentioned in the foregoing embodiments. 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating a manufacturing process of the organic negative electrode of  FIG. 1 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the process comprises the following steps:
       Step S 1 : preparing the first element  11  into a first membrane;   Step S 2 : preparing a second membrane on the first membrane from the second element  12 ; and   Step S 3 : laying the third element  13  on the second membrane to prepare a third membrane.       
 
         [0035]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating a manufacturing process of the organic negative electrode of  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the process comprises the following steps:
       Step S 21 : preparing the first element  21  into a first membrane;   Step S 22 : preparing a second membrane on the first membrane from the second element  22 ;   Step S 23 : disposing the additional material  24  on the second membrane; and   Step S 24 : laying the third element  23  on the second membrane to prepare a third membrane.       
 
         [0040]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating a manufacturing process of the organic negative electrode of  FIG. 3 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the process comprises the following steps:
       Step S 31 : preparing the first element  31  into a first membrane;   Step S 32 : preparing a second membrane on the first membrane from the second element  32 ;   Step S 33 : disposing the additional material  34  on the second membrane;   Step S 34 : laying the fourth element  35  on the second membrane; and   Step S 35 : laying the third element  33  on the fourth element  35  to prepare a third membrane.       
 
         [0046]    Any known method can be used to form the third membrane on the second membrane in the above-described process, such as forming the third membrane on the second membrane from the third element by pressing when the third element is in powder state, or by spreading when the third element is in liquid state. 
         [0047]    Any known method can be used to put the additional material on the second membrane in above-described process. For example, the second membrane can be doped with the additional material (such as metal shavings). 
         [0048]    The steps S 1 , S 21 , and S 31  further comprise the step of roughening the surface of the first membrane. The area of the first membrane can be 5 cm×5 cm, 5 cm×10 cm, or 10 cm×10 cm. 
         [0049]    In the steps S 2 , S 22 , and S 32  mentioned above, the second element is spread onto the first membrane and then dried up in an oven so that the second membrane formed by the second element sticks to the first membrane. For example, the second element of about 0.5 mm in thickness can be spread onto the first membrane and then dried up in the oven at about 100° C. for about 6 minutes. 
         [0050]    The organic negative electrode and the battery of the present disclosure could store hydrogen by the chlorophyll in the third element and have the outstanding characteristics of low internal resistance and high electricity storage capacity. Namely, during the oxidation-reduction chemical reaction, the chlorophyll molecule would lose a magnesium ion in its porphyrin center to become the pheophytin molecule. The two empty bonding sites of the latter then trap two hydrogen ions to practically store hydrogen and make the running of current smooth. Not only is the manufacturing process of the organic negative electrode simple, robust, and economical, but only natural, non-toxic substances are employed, unlike conventional batteries and solar cells, the battery of the present disclosure will not cause environmental pollution even when discarded after being used. 
         [0051]    It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, “third” and other terms in the present disclosure are only used as textual symbols as the circumstances may require, and thus the practice is not limited to these terms. It should be further noted that these terms can be used interchangeably. 
         [0052]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of preferred and exemplary embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail within the principles of present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broadest general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.