A method for preparing a niobium, titanium or vanadium metal oxide nanostructured material is provided. The method comprises providing an aqueous reagent comprising (i) a soluble metal oxalate, and/or (ii) oxalic acid and a metal oxide precursor, adding a buffering agent to the aqueous reagent to form a mixture, and heating the mixture under hydrothermal conditions to obtain the metal oxide nanostructured material. The metal oxide nanostructured material may also be doped with a dopant metal such as titanium to enhance capacity and cycling stability. An electrode comprising the metal oxide nanostructured material, and an electrochemical cell containing the electrode are also provided.

A method for preparing a niobium, titanium or vanadium metal oxide nanostructured material is provided. The method comprises providing an aqueous reagent comprising (i) a soluble metal oxalate, and/or (ii) oxalic acid and a metal oxide precursor, adding a buffering agent to the aqueous reagent to form a mixture, and heating the mixture under hydrothermal conditions to obtain the metal oxide nanostructured material. The metal oxide nanostructured material may also be doped with a dopant metal such as titanium to enhance capacity and cycling stability. An electrode comprising the metal oxide nanostructured material, and an electrochemical cell containing the electrode are also provided.

A positive electrode plate (11) includes a current collector (30) and a mixture layer (31) disposed on the current collector (30). The mixture layer (31) has a thin portion (32) with a thickness of less than 200 μm disposed on an inner coil half of the current collector (30) and a thick portion (33) having a larger thickness than the thin portion (32), the thick portion (33) having a yield loop height H measured by a stiffness test of 6 mm<H<15 mm.

A positive electrode plate (11) includes a current collector (30) and a mixture layer (31) disposed on the current collector (30). The mixture layer (31) has a thin portion (32) with a thickness of less than 200 μm disposed on an inner coil half of the current collector (30) and a thick portion (33) having a larger thickness than the thin portion (32), the thick portion (33) having a yield loop height H measured by a stiffness test of 6 mm<H<15 mm.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a negative electrode plate for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that has high capacity and good cycle characteristics and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. A negative electrode plate for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to the present invention contains a negative-electrode active material containing a carbon material and a silicon oxide, carboxymethylcellulose, a polyacrylate partially neutralized by at least one of NaOH and NH.sub.3, and a copolymer containing at least two selected from the group consisting of styrene, butadiene, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and acrylonitrile as constitutional units.

A method for manufacturing a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate provided with a negative electrode mixture layer containing graphite and a silicon material and includes a step of applying positive electrode mixture slurry containing a lithium-transition metal composite oxide and polyvinylidene fluoride to a positive electrode current collector, a step of forming a positive electrode mixture layer by drying the positive electrode mixture slurry, and a step of heat-treating the positive electrode mixture layer. The temperature of heat treatment is preferably 160° C. to 350° C.

This disclosure relates to an SO.sub.2-based electrolyte for a rechargeable battery cell containing at least one conducting salt of the Formula (I) ##STR00001##
wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, metals of group 12 of the periodic table of the elements and aluminum; x is an integer from 1 to 3; the substituents R, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C.sub.1-C.sub.10 alkyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.1 alkenyl, C.sub.2-C.sub.1 alkynyl, C.sub.3-C.sub.10 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6-C.sub.14 aryl, and C.sub.5-C.sub.14 heteroaryl; and Z is aluminum or boron.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a silicon-based carbon composite, a preparation method therefor, and an anode active material for a lithium secondary battery, comprising same, and, more specifically, the silicon-based carbon composite of the present invention is a silicon-based carbon composite having a core-shell structure, wherein the core comprises silicon, silicon oxide compound and magnesium silicate, the shell comprises at least two carbon layers comprising a first carbon layer and a second carbon layer, and the second carbon layer is reduced graphene oxide, and thus, during application of the silicon-based carbon composite to an anode active material for a secondary battery, the charge/discharge capacity, initial charge/discharge efficiency and capacity retention of the secondary battery can be improved.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a silicon-based carbon composite, a preparation method therefor, and an anode active material for a lithium secondary battery, comprising same, and, more specifically, the silicon-based carbon composite of the present invention is a silicon-based carbon composite having a core-shell structure, wherein the core comprises silicon, silicon oxide compound and magnesium silicate, the shell comprises at least two carbon layers comprising a first carbon layer and a second carbon layer, and the second carbon layer is reduced graphene oxide, and thus, during application of the silicon-based carbon composite to an anode active material for a secondary battery, the charge/discharge capacity, initial charge/discharge efficiency and capacity retention of the secondary battery can be improved.

A negative electrode for a lithium secondary battery, a lithium secondary battery including the negative electrode, and a method for manufacturing the lithium secondary battery, where the negative electrode includes a negative electrode current collector; and a negative electrode active material layer on at least one surface of the negative electrode current collector. The negative electrode active material layer includes a Si-containing negative electrode active material, a conductive material and a first binder polymer. The Si-containing negative electrode active material has cracks formed after activation, and a second binder polymer is present in the cracks. The first binder polymer and the second binder polymer are heterogeneous (e.g., different from each other). The lithium secondary battery shows improved life characteristics.