Carboxylic acids are prepared by a one-step gas phase process comprising the step of contacting under halogen-free hydroxycarbonylation conditions an alkene, carbon monoxide, water, and a solid sulfide-containing catalyst.

The present invention generally relates to P2-type layered materials for electrochemical devices such as Na-ion batteries with high rate performance, and methods of making or using such materials. In some embodiments, the P2-type layered material has the chemical formula Na.sub.X(Mn.sub.QFe.sub.RCo.sub.T)O.sub.2. The P2-type layered material may be synthesized, for example, by a solid state reaction. In some cases, the P2-type layered material may be used as an electrode in an electrochemical device. The electrochemical device may have higher initial discharge capacities at various charge/discharge rates in galvanostatic testing compared with the initial discharge capacities of other P2-type layered materials.

A positive electrode active material particle with little deterioration is provided. A power storage device with little deterioration is provided. A highly safe power storage device is provided. The positive electrode active material particle includes a first crystal grain, a second crystal grain, and a crystal grain boundary positioned between the crystal grain and the second crystal grain; the first crystal grain and the second crystal grain include lithium, a transition metal, and oxygen; the crystal grain boundary includes magnesium and oxygen; and the positive electrode active material particle includes a region where the ratio of the atomic concentration of magnesium in the crystal grain boundary to the atomic concentration of the transition metal in first crystal grain and the second crystal grain is greater than or equal to 0.010 and less than or equal to 0.50.

Nanowire synthesis and one dimensional nanowire synthesis of titanates and cobaltates. Exemplary titanates and cobaltates that are fabricated and discussed include, without limitation, strontium titanate (SrTiO.sub.3), barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.3), lead titanate (PbTiO.sub.3), calcium cobaltate (Ca.sub.3Co.sub.4O.sub.9) and sodium cobaltate (NaCo.sub.2O.sub.4).

The present invention provides an electrocatalytic material and a method for making an electrocatalytic material. There is also provided an electrocatalytic material comprising amorphous metal or mixed metal oxides. There is also provided methods of forming an electrocatalyst, comprising an amorphous metal oxide film.

Provided are a positive active material, a positive electrode including the same, and a lithium secondary battery including the positive electrode. The positive active material includes lithium cobalt oxide containing a metal element, and the lithium cobalt oxide containing a metal element has a ratio of a peak intensity of the O3 phase to a peak intensity of the H1-3 phase, I.sub.O3/I.sub.H1-3, that is greater than 1 in a X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis spectrum using Cu-Kα radiation. Accordingly, a lithium secondary battery including the positive active material may have improved lifespan characteristics even at a high voltage.

A lithium-ion battery includes: a cathode; an anode; and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution, in which the cathode includes a current collector and a cathode mixture applied on at least one side of the current collector, the cathode mixture includes a lithium transition metal oxide as a cathode active material, the anode includes a lithium titanium complex oxide as an anode active material, and the non-aqueous electrolyte solution includes a fluorine-containing boric acid ester.

The present invention provided a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery including lithium cobalt oxide particles. The lithium cobalt oxide particles include lithium deficient lithium cobalt oxide having Li/Co molar ratio of less than 1, belongs to an Fd-3m space group, and having a cubic crystal structure, in surface of the particle and in a region corresponding to a distance from 0% to less than 100% from the surface of the particle relative to a distance (r) from the surface to the center of the particle. In the positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to the present invention, the intercalation and deintercalation of lithium at the surface of a particle may be easy, and the output property and rate characteristic may be improved when applied to a battery.

The present invention provides a method of producing a lithium mixed metal oxide, a lithium mixed metal oxide and a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The method includes a step of calcining a mixture of one or more compounds of M wherein M is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt and manganese, and a lithium compound, in the presence of one or more inactive fluxes selected from the group consisting of a fluoride of A, a chloride of A, a carbonate of A, a sulfate of A, a nitrate of A, a phosphate of A, a hydroxide of A, a molybdate of A and a tungstate of A, wherein A is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Na, K, Rb, Cs, Ca, Mg, Sr and Ba. The lithium mixed metal oxide contains nickel, cobalt and manganese, has a BET specific surface area of from 3 m.sup.2/g to 15 m.sup.2/g, and has an average particle diameter within a range of 0.1 μm or more to less than 1 μm, the diameter determined by a laser diffraction scattering method.

The present disclosure relates to a positive electrode material including a spinel-structured lithium manganese-based first positive electrode active material and a lithium nickel-manganese-cobalt-based second positive electrode active material, wherein the first positive electrode active material includes a lithium manganese oxide represented by Formula 1 and a coating layer which is disposed on a surface of the lithium manganese oxide, the second positive electrode active material is represented by Formula 2, and an average particle diameter of the second positive electrode active material is greater than an average particle diameter of the first positive electrode active material, and a positive electrode and a lithium secondary battery which include the positive electrode material:
Li.sub.1+aMn.sub.2−bM.sup.1.sub.bO.sub.4−cA.sub.c  [Formula 1]
Li.sub.1+x[Ni.sub.yCo.sub.zMn.sub.wM.sup.2.sub.v]O.sub.2−pB.sub.p  [Formula 2]