A negative electrode material includes a silicon-based material, where a particle of the silicon-based material includes at least one recessed portion, and the recessed portion is 50 nm to 20 μm in width, and 50 nm to 10 μm in depth. The recessed structure leaves room for the silicon-based material to swell, thereby solving the problem of large volume swelling of the silicon-based material. In addition, when the silicon-based material with the recessed structure is composited with a carbon material, a conductive agent, and the like to form a negative electrode plate, small particles of the carbon material and the conductive agent are embedded into the recessed portion of the silicon-based material, solving the problem of low compacted density of the silicon-based negative electrode material with a recessed structure, and compensating for the low volumetric energy density of the recessed structure.

A negative electrode material includes a silicon-based material, where a particle of the silicon-based material includes at least one recessed portion, and the recessed portion is 50 nm to 20 μm in width, and 50 nm to 10 μm in depth. The recessed structure leaves room for the silicon-based material to swell, thereby solving the problem of large volume swelling of the silicon-based material. In addition, when the silicon-based material with the recessed structure is composited with a carbon material, a conductive agent, and the like to form a negative electrode plate, small particles of the carbon material and the conductive agent are embedded into the recessed portion of the silicon-based material, solving the problem of low compacted density of the silicon-based negative electrode material with a recessed structure, and compensating for the low volumetric energy density of the recessed structure.

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.

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 battery pack including heterogeneous secondary batteries includes: a first battery set in which a plurality of first secondary batteries are stacked; and a second battery set in which a plurality of second secondary batteries are stacked, in which each of the first battery set and the second battery set is formed of a plurality, and the battery pack has an arrangement structure in which the plurality of first battery sets and the plurality of second battery sets are alternately stacked in one direction.

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.

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.

A method for forming a treated sintered composition includes: providing a slurry precursor including a lithium-, sodium-, or magnesium-based compound; tape casting the slurry precursor to form a green tape; sintering the green tape at a temperature in a range of 500° C. to 1350° C. for a time in a range of less than 60 min to form a sintered composition; and heat treating the sintered composition at a temperature in a range of 700° C. to 1100° C. for a time in a range of 1 min to 2 hrs in an oxygen-containing atmosphere to form the treated sintered composition.

A submicron sized Si based powder having an average primary particle size between 20 nm and 200 nm, wherein the powder has a surface layer comprising SiO.sub.x, with 0<x<2, the surface layer having an average thickness between 0.5 nm and 10 nm, and wherein the powder has a total oxygen content equal or less than 3% by weight at room temperature. The method for making the powder comprises a step where a Si precursor is vaporized in a gas stream at high temperature, after which the gas stream is quenched to obtain Si particles, and the Si particles are quenched at low temperature in an oxygen containing gas.

A battery comprising an acidified metal oxide (“AMO”) material, preferably in monodisperse nanoparticulate form 20 nm or less in size, having a pH <7 when suspended in a 5 wt % aqueous solution and a Hammett function H.sub.0 >−12, at least on its surface.