Positive electrode for rechargeable lithium batteries

Claim 2

A battery comprising: a) an electrolyte; b) a positive electrode having an active material and comprising a current collector which has a major surface facing the active material; and c) a layer between the major surface of the current collector and the electrolyte, said layer comprising a conductive polymer having single and double bonds alternating along a main polymer chain and being a conductor of electrons and capable of restricting penetration of one or more of electrolyte and active material therethrough.

Claim 3

The battery according to claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer is at least one selected from the group consisting of polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyphenylene and derivatives and mixtures thereof.

Claim 4

A battery according to claim 1 and further including a second layer like the first mentioned layer on a second surface of the current collector.

Claim 5

The battery according to claim 1, wherein the layer is a coating carried on the major surface of the current collector of the electrode.

Claim 6

In a battery having a lithium-containing negative electrode body, a positive electrode body containing an active material, an electrolyte separator in the form of a polymeric network containing an electrolyte solution comprising a metal salt of the negative electrode disposed between the negative and positive electrode bodies, and a current collector adjacent a surface of the positive electrode body remote from the electrolyte separator, the improvement comprising a layer between the current collector and the active material of the positive electrode, said layer comprising at least one conductive polymer having single and double bonds alternating along a main polymer chain and being a conductor of electrons and capable of restricting penetration of one or more of electrolyte and active material therethrough.

Claim 7

In a battery having a lithium-containing negative electrode body, a positive electrode body containing an active material, an electrolyte separator in the form of a polymeric network containing an electrolyte solution comprising a metal salt of the negative electrode disposed between the negative and positive electrode bodies, and a current collector adjacent a surface of the positive electrode body remote from the electrolyte separator, the improvement comprising a layer between the current collector and the active material of the positive electrode, said layer comprising at least one conductive polymer having single and double bonds alternating along a main polymer chain and being a conductor of electrons and capable of restricting penetration of one or more of electrolyte and active material therethrough.

Claim 8

The improvement according to claim 5, wherein the at least one conductive polymer being selected from the group consisting of polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyphenylene and derivatives and mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The improvement according to claim 5, wherein the layer is carried on a first surface of the current collector facing the positive electrode active material.

Claim 10

The improvement according to claim 7, wherein a second layer is carried on a second surface of the current collector opposite the first surface, such second layer having a composition similar to the first layer.