Provided is a lithium secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material; and a first functional layer between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein the first functional layer includes plate-like polyolefin particles having an average diameter of 1 μm to 8 μm, and the positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material layer including a positive electrode active material and a flame retardant, or has a stacked structure including a positive electrode active material layer and a second functional layer including a flame retardant.

The present invention provides a silicon-silicon composite oxide-carbon composite, a method for preparing same, and a negative electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery, comprising same. More particularly, the silicon-silicon composite oxide-carbon composite of the present invention has a core-shell structure wherein the core comprises silicon, a silicon oxide compound, and magnesium silicate, and the shell comprises a carbon layer. In addition, by having a specific range of span values through the adjustment of particle size distribution of the composite, when used as a negative electrode active material of a secondary battery, the composite can improve not only the capacity of the secondary battery but also the cycle characteristics and initial efficiency thereof.

A lithium transition metal oxide electrode including an additional metal is provided herein as well electrochemical cells including the lithium transition metal oxide electrode and methods of making the lithium transition metal oxide electrode. The lithium transition metal oxide electrode includes a first electroactive material including Li.sub.1+aNi.sub.bMn.sub.cM.sub.dO.sub.2, where 0.05≤a≤0.6; 0.01≤b≤0.5; 0.1≤c≤0.9; zero (0)≤d≤0.3; b+c+d=1 or a+b+c+d=1; and M represents an additional metal, such as W, Mo, V, Zr, Nb, Ta, Fe, Al, Mg, Si, or a combination thereof.

A battery includes: an electrode group including an air electrode and a negative electrode that are stacked with a separator interposed therebetween; and a container housing the electrode group together with an alkaline electrolyte liquid. The air electrode includes a catalyst for an air secondary battery, and this catalyst for an air secondary battery includes a pyrochlore bismuth-ruthenium composite oxide having a full width at half maximum of a diffraction peak corresponding to a (222) face obtained by a powder X-ray diffraction method using CuKα rays as X-rays, of 0.350 deg or larger and 0.713 deg or smaller.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for preparing carbon materials which can be used in battery electrodes. More specifically, embodiments relate to methods for preparing nano-ordered carbon products used as anode materials in metal-ion batteries, such as a lithium-ion battery. In one or more embodiments, a method includes exposing a liquid refinery hydrocarbon product to a first functionalization agent to produce a first solid functionalized product during a first functionalization process and exposing the first solid functionalized product to a second functionalization agent to produce a second solid functionalized product during a second functionalization process. Each of the first and second functionalization agents independently contains an element selected from oxygen, sulfur, phosphorous, nitrogen, or any combination thereof. The method also includes carbonizing the second solid functionalized product at a temperature of about 1,000° C. to about 1,400° C. to produce a solid nano-ordered carbon product during a carbonization process.

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to methods for preparing carbon materials which can be used in battery electrodes. In one or more embodiments, a method for preparing an anode carbon material is provided and includes combining a liquid refinery hydrocarbon product and a solvent to produce a first mixture, combining the first mixture and a first oxidizing agent containing an acid to produce a second mixture containing the liquid refinery hydrocarbon product, the solvent, and the first oxidizing agent, and heating the second mixture to produce a reaction mixture containing an oxidized solid product during an oxidation process. The method also includes separating the oxidized solid product from the reaction mixture during a separation process and carbonizing the oxidized solid product to produce a hard carbon product during a carbonization process.

An electrode binder for a lithium secondary battery, and an electrode and a lithium secondary battery, including the electrode binder. The electrode binder includes: a cellulose-based graft copolymer grafted with a compound having an ion-hopping site; and a polyacrylate-based polymer having an anionic group via an exchange with a cation. By including the electrode binder in at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, it is possible to provide a lithium secondary battery capable of enhancing fast charging/discharging behavior efficiency of the electrode by reducing electrode resistance generated inside the electrode during charging/discharging.

An improved structure of nano-scaled and nanostructured Si particles is provided for use as anode material for lithium ion batteries. The Si particles are prepared as a composite coated with MgO and metallurgically bonded over a conductive refractory valve metal support structure.

A natural graphite-based modified composite material, a preparation method therefor, and a lithium ion battery comprising the modified composite material. The natural graphite-based modified composite material comprises natural graphite and non-graphitized carbon coated on the inner and outer surfaces of the natural graphite. The preparation method comprises: (1) subjecting spherical natural graphite to isotropic treatment; (2) performing granularity control and shaping treatment; (3) subjecting the inner surface and the outer surface of the material obtained in step (2) to simultaneous modification; and (4) performing carbonization, so as to obtain a natural graphite-based modified composite material.

An electrode for batteries that does not include a metal-film-type current collector is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the electrode comprises a composite having a core-shell structure including a core having an electrode active material, and a metal material coated on or doped in the surface of the core. A secondary battery having the electrode has increased capacity and energy density and exhibits improved lifespan characteristics.