Mixed-valence complex electrodes for a rechargeable electrical energy storage device

摘要

An electrode for a rechargeable electrical energy storage device has a substrate and an electrochemically active material deposited on the substrate. The electrochemically active material provides electron transfer between itself and an electrolyte. The electrochemically active material is a mixed-valence complex containing at least two metal atoms and at least one ligand attached to the metal atoms, and has metal-to-metal bonds where the metals exist in multiple oxidation states such that electron transfer between the metal atoms in the complex or between discrete complexes occurs. A rechargeable electrical energy storage device (20) has two electrodes (28, 36) constructed from a mixed-valence complex (30), and the electrodes are electrically connected by an ion carrying electrolyte (32). The electrodes are also physically separated from each other by a barrier (34) that will pass ions but not electrons.