NEXEON LIMITED

The invention relates to a particulate material and processes for the preparation thereof. The particulate material consists of a plurality of composite particles. The composite particles comprise a porous particle framework comprising micropores and/or mesopores. The total pore volume of micropores and mesopores as measured by gas adsorption is in the range from 0.4 to 2.2 cm 3 /g. The composite particles comprise a plurality of electroactive material domains and a plurality of modifier material domains disposed within the internal pore volume of the porous particle framework. At least a portion of the modifier material domains are located between adjacent electroactive material domains.

The invention provides methods for providing composite particles with a carbon coating and the resulting core-shell particulate material. The process comprises subjecting a plurality of precursor composite particles to a heat treatment in contact with a pyrolytic carbon precursor such that an outer shell of a pyrolytic conductive carbon material is formed on the precursor composite particles, wherein the heat treatment is carried out at a temperature of no more than 700° C.

The invention relates to a process for preparing composite particles. The process comprises the steps of providing a plurality of porous particles comprising micropores and/or mesopores; contacting the porous particles with a silicon-containing precursor at a temperature effective to cause deposition of a plurality of silicon domains in the pores of the porous particles; subjecting the particles to heat treatment at a temperature of at least 400° C. and in the presence of an inert gas; and contacting the particles with a silicon-containing precursor at a temperature effective to cause deposition of further silicon domains in the pores of the porous particles.

The invention relates to a process for preparing composite particles. The process comprises the steps of providing a plurality of porous particles comprising micropores and/or mesopores; contacting the porous particles with a silicon-containing precursor at a temperature effective to cause deposition of a plurality of silicon domains in the pores of the porous particles; and subjecting the particles to heat treatment at a temperature of at least 400° C. and in the presence of an inert gas.

This invention relates to particulate electroactive materials consisting of a plurality of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise: (a) a porous carbon framework including micropores and mesopores having a total volume of 0.5 to 1.5 cm 3 /g; and (b) silicon located at least within the micropores of the porous carbon framework. The porous carbon framework is an activated carbon material obtained by the pyrolysis of a plant source comprising at least 25 wt % lignin on a dry weight basis followed by activation with steam or carbon dioxide.

This invention relates to a process for preparing composite particles, the process comprising the deposition of a plurality of electroactive material domains in the pores of porous particles, wherein the porous particles comprise micropores and mesopores and have a D1 particle diameter of at least 0.5 μm and a D50 particle diameter in the range from 1 to 20 μm.

The invention relates to a process for preparing composite particles, the process comprising contacting the plurality of particles in the reaction zone with a gas comprising at least 25 vol % of a silicon-containing precursor at a temperature effective to cause deposition of silicon in the pores of the porous particles. A controlled temperature differential between the maximum temperature of the internal surfaces of the reaction zone and the simultaneous minimum temperature within the plurality of porous particles is maintained during the contacting step.

Silicon-containing composite particles, the process comprising the steps of: (a) providing a plurality of porous particles comprising micropores and/or mesopores, wherein the D 50 particle diameter of the porous particles from 0.5 to 200 μm; the total pore volume of micropores and mesopores is from 0.4 to 2.2 cm 3 /g; and the PD 50 pore diameter is no more than 30 nm; c (b) combining a charge of the porous particles with a charge of a silicon-containing precursor in a batch pressure reactor, wherein the charge of porous particles has a volume of at least 20 cm 3 per litre of reactor volume (cm 3 /L RV ), and wherein the charge of the silicon-containing precursor comprises at least 2 g of silicon per litre of reactor volume (g/L RV ); and (c) heating the reactor to a temperature effective to cause deposition of silicon in the pores of the porous particles, thereby providing the silicon-containing composite particles.

This invention relates to particulate electroactive materials consisting of a plurality of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise: (a) a porous carbon framework including micropores and mesopores having a total volume of 0.4 to 0.75 cm 3 /g, wherein the micropore volume fraction is in the range of 0.5 to 0.85 based on the total volume of micropores and mesopores; and (b) silicon located at least within the micropores of the porous carbon framework in a defined amount relative to the volume of the micropores and mesopores.

This invention relates to particulate electroactive materials consisting of a plurality of composite particles, wherein the composite particles comprise: (a) a porous conductive particle framework including micropores and/or mesopores having a total volume of at least 0.4 to 2.2 cm 3 /g; (b) an electroactive material disposed within the porous conductive particle framework; and (c) a lithium-ion permeable filler penetrating the pores of the porous conductive particle framework and disposed intermediate the nanoscale silicon domains and the exterior of the composite particles.