Disclosed are a precursor for preparation of a lithium composite transition metal oxide, a method for preparing the same and a lithium composite transition metal oxide obtained from the same. More particularly, the transition metal precursor which has a composition represented by Formula 1 below and is prepared in an aqueous transition metal solution, mixed with a transition metal-containing salt, including an alkaline material, the method for preparing the same and the lithium composite transition metal oxide obtained from the same are disclosed.
Mn.sub.aM.sub.b(OH.sub.1-x).sub.2-yA.sub.y(1) wherein M is at least one selected form the group consisting of Ni, Ti, Co, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, Cr, Zr, Zn and Period II transition metals; A is at least one selected form the group consisting of anions of PO.sub.4, BO.sub.3, CO.sub.3, F and NO.sub.3, and 0.5a1.0; 0b0.5; a+b=1; 0<x<1.0; and 0y0.02.

Process for making a composite oxide according to the formula x.Math.Li.sub.2Ni.sub.1-y1-y2Mn.sub.y1M.sup.1.sub.y2O.sub.3.Math.(1x).Math.LiNi.sub.1-zM.sup.2.sub.zO.sub.2 wherein x is in the range of from 0.01 to 0.5, z is in the range of from zero to 0.5, M.sup.1 is selected from Ti, Zr, Sn, Ge, Ta, Nb, Sb, W, and Mo, and combinations of at least two of the foregoing, M.sup.2 is at least one of Co, Al, Mg, Fe, or Mn, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing,

0.1y10.75, zeroy20.05,

said process comprising the following steps: (a) providing a particulate hydroxide, oxide or oxyhydroxide of TM where TM has the general formula x.Math.Ni.sub.1-y1-y2Mn.sub.y1M.sup.1.sub.y.Math.(1x)Ni.sub.1-zM.sup.2.sub.z, or the respective species without M.sup.1 and/or M.sup.2, (b) adding a source of lithium, (c) treating the mixture obtained from step (b) thermally under an atmosphere comprising oxygen in two steps: (c) heating the mixture obtained from step (b) to 680 to 800 C. in an atmosphere containing in the range of from 10 to 100 vol-% oxygen, and, (e) heating the intermediate from step (c) to 450 to 580 C. in an atmosphere containing at least 90 vol-% oxygen.

A process for preparing a metal oxide-containing powder that comprises conducting spray pyrolysis that comprises aerosolizing a slurry that comprises solid-phase particles in a liquid that comprises at least one precursor compound, which comprises one or more metallic elements of at least one metal oxide, to form droplets of said slurry, and calcining the droplets to at least partially decompose the at least one precursor compound and form the metal oxide-containing powder having a non-hollow morphology.

A positive electrode material includes an active material represented by Li.sub.2Mn.sub.(12x)Ni.sub.xMo.sub.xO.sub.3 (where 0<x<0.4).

Disclosed are a precursor for preparation of a lithium composite transition metal oxide, a method for preparing the same and a lithium composite transition metal oxide obtained from the same. More particularly, the transition metal precursor which has a composition represented by Formula 1 below and is prepared in an aqueous transition metal solution, mixed with a transition metal-containing salt, including an alkaline material, the method for preparing the same and the lithium composite transition metal oxide obtained from the same are disclosed.

Mn.sub.aM.sub.b(OH.sub.1-x).sub.2-yA.sub.y (1) wherein M is at least one selected form the group consisting of Ni, Ti, Co, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, Cr, Zr, Zn and Period II transition metals; A is at least one selected form the group consisting of anions of PO.sub.4, BO.sub.3, CO.sub.3, F and NO.sub.3, and 0.5a1.0; 0b0.5; a+b=1; 0<x<1.0; and 0y0.02.

When a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery in which a positive electrode active material comprising a layered lithium-composite oxide is used for a positive electrode is subjected to charge/discharge under a prescribed condition, in a graph showing the relationship between voltage V with discharge during 5.sup.th cycle and value dQ/dV from differentiation of battery capacity Q with discharge during 5.sup.th cycle by voltage V, peak intensity ratio r represented by the equation: r=|Ic|/(|Ia|+|Ib|+|Ic|) satisfies 0<r0.25, in which |Ia| is absolute value dQ/dV for a peak top within a range of more than 3.9V to 4.4V or less, |Ib| is absolute value dQ/dV for a peak top within a range of more than 3.5V to 3.9V or less, and |Ic| is absolute value dQ/dV for a peak top within a range of 2.0V or more to 3.5V or less.

Disclosed are a precursor for preparation of a lithium composite transition metal oxide, a method for preparing the same and a lithium composite transition metal oxide obtained from the same. More particularly, the transition metal precursor which has a composition represented by Formula 1 below and is prepared in an aqueous transition metal solution, mixed with a transition metal-containing salt, including an alkaline material, the method for preparing the same and the lithium composite transition metal oxide obtained from the same are disclosed.
Mn.sub.aM.sub.b(OH.sub.1-x).sub.2-yA.sub.y(1) wherein M is at least one selected form the group consisting of Ni, Ti, Co, Al, Cu, Fe, Mg, B, Cr, Zr, Zn and Period II transition metals; A is at least one selected form the group consisting of anions of PO.sub.4, BO.sub.3, CO.sub.3, F and NO.sub.3, and 0.5a1.0; 0b0.5; a+b=1; 0<x<1.0; and 0y0.02.

A transition metal oxide containing solid-solution lithium that realizes high initial discharge capacity and capacity retention is represented by the compositional formula: Li.sub.1.5[Ni.sub.aM.sub.bMn.sub.c[Li].sub.d]O.sub.3, wherein M represents at least one kind of element selected from the group consisting of silicon, phosphorus and metal elements (excluding Ni, Mn and Li), a, b, c and d satisfy specific relationships, and n is the valence of M. The oxide has a layered structure site and a site which changes to a spinel structure by performing a charge or a charge-discharge in a predetermined electric potential range, and a spinel structure change ratio k in a range of 0.25k<1.0 when the spinel structure change ratio is assumed to be 1 in a case where Li.sub.2MnO.sub.3 of the layered structure in the transition metal oxide containing solid-solution lithium completely changes to LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4 of the spinel structure.

A positive electrode active material includes secondary particles. The secondary particles include a plurality of primary particles. The primary particles include a lithium-containing composite metal oxide. Inside the secondary particles, an electron conducting oxide is disposed at at least a part of a grain boundary between the primary particles. The electron conducting oxide has a perovskite structure.

Li-ion cathode materials with improved performance characteristics and precursors to prepare such materials are disclosed. The precursors consist of complex, mixed alkali transition metal oxides of the formula Li.sub.xA.sub.y(Mn.sub.aNi.sub.bM.sub.c)O.sub.2+d, where M represents one or more selected from transition metal elements beside Ni and Mn, and the groups IIA and IIIA elements of the periodic table, x is between 1 and 1.4, y is between 0.1 and 0.5, and x+y is between 1.1 and 1.5, a+b+c=1, the value of d depends on the proportions and average oxidation states of the cation elements Li, A, Mn, Ni and M such that the combined positive charge of the cation elements is balanced by the number of oxygen anions, A represents one or more elements selected from Na, K and Cs. The Li-ion cathode materials are produced by exchange of element(s) A for Li under mild conditions to limit the degree of structural reorganization that occurs during the reaction.