Disclosed is a doped lithium manganese iron phosphate-based particulate for a cathode of a lithium-ion battery. The particulate includes a composition represented by a formula of M.sub.m-Li.sub.xMn.sub.1-y-zFe.sub.yM′.sub.z(PO.sub.4).sub.n/C, wherein M, M′, x, y, z, m, and n are as defined herein. Also disclosed is a powdery material including the particulate, and a method for preparing the powdery material.

Disclosed is a doped lithium manganese iron phosphate-based particulate for a cathode of a lithium-ion battery. The particulate includes a composition represented by a formula of M.sub.m-Li.sub.xMn.sub.1-y-zFe.sub.yM′.sub.z(PO.sub.4).sub.n/C, wherein M, M′, x, y, z, m, and n are as defined herein. Also disclosed is a powdery material including the particulate, and a method for preparing the powdery material.

A binder including a metal salt of a graft copolymer, which is a polymerization product of polyvinyl alcohol, an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and a polymerizable monomer having a long-chain alkyl group.

A method for manufacturing an electrochemical device, implementing a process for manufacturing a porous electrode having a porous layer deposited on a substrate, the porous layer having a porosity of between 20% and 60% by volume and pores with an average diameter of less than 50 nm. The method includes providing a substrate and a colloidal suspension including aggregates or agglomerates of monodisperse primary nanoparticles of an active electrode material, having an average primary diameter of between 2 and 60 nm, the aggregates or agglomerates having an average diameter of between 50 nm and 300 nm, then depositing a layer from the colloidal suspension on the substrate, then drying and consolidating the layer to obtain a mesoporous layer, and then depositing a coating of an electronically conductive material on and inside the pores of the layer.

An active material particle include a lithium silicate composite particle including a lithium silicate phase, and silicon particles dispersed in the lithium silicate phase, and a first coating that covers at least a portion of a surface of the lithium silicate composite particle; wherein the first coating includes an oxide of a first element other than a non-metal element, and a carbon atom, the first coating has a thickness T1.sub.A, an element ratio Rb of the first element relative to the carbon atom at a position of 0.25T1.sub.A of the first coating from the surface of the lithium silicate composite particle, and an element ratio Rt of the first element relative to the carbon atom at a position of 0.75T1.sub.A of the first coating from the surface of the lithium silicate composite particle satisfy Rb>Rt.

An active material particle include a lithium silicate composite particle including a lithium silicate phase, and silicon particles dispersed in the lithium silicate phase, and a first coating that covers at least a portion of a surface of the lithium silicate composite particle; wherein the first coating includes an oxide of a first element other than a non-metal element, and a carbon atom, the first coating has a thickness T1.sub.A, an element ratio Rb of the first element relative to the carbon atom at a position of 0.25T1.sub.A of the first coating from the surface of the lithium silicate composite particle, and an element ratio Rt of the first element relative to the carbon atom at a position of 0.75T1.sub.A of the first coating from the surface of the lithium silicate composite particle satisfy Rb>Rt.

Process for making a cathode comprising the following steps (a) Providing a cathode active material selected from layered lithium transition metal oxides, lithiated spinels, lithium transition metal phosphate with olivine structure, and lithium nickel-cobalt aluminum oxides, (b) treating said cathode active material with an oligomer bearing units according to general formula (I a),

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 are the same or different and selected from hydrogen and C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkyl, aryl, and C.sub.4-C.sub.7-cycloalkyl, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are selected independently at each occurrence from phenyl and C.sub.1-C.sub.8-alkyl, C.sub.4-C.sub.7-cycloalkyl, C.sub.1-C.sub.8-haloalkyl, OPR.sup.1(O)—*, and —(CR.sup.9.sub.2).sub.p—Si(R.sup.2).sub.2—* wherein one or more non-vicinal CR.sup.9.sub.2-groups may be replaced by oxygen, R.sup.9 is selected independently at each occurrence from H and C.sub.1-C.sub.4-alkyl, and p is a variable from zero to 6, and wherein the overall majority of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is selected from C.sub.1-C.sub.8-alkyl, and, optionally, at least one of carbon in electrically conductive form and, optionally, a binder, (c) applying a slurry of said treated cathode active material to a current collector, and (d) at least partially removing solvent used in step (c).

Embodiments described herein relate to electrochemical cells with multiple separators, and methods of producing the same. A method of producing an electrochemical cell can include disposing an anode material onto an anode current collector, disposing a first separator on the anode material, disposing a cathode material onto a cathode current collector, disposing a second separator onto the cathode material, and disposing the first separator on the second separator to form the electrochemical cell. The anode material and/or the cathode material can be a semi-solid electrode material including an active material, a conductive material, and a volume of liquid electrolyte. In some embodiments, less than about 10% by volume of the liquid electrolyte evaporates during the forming of the electrochemical cell. In some embodiments, the method can further include wetting the first separator and/or the second separator with an electrolyte solution prior to coupling the first separator to the second separator.

Embodiments described herein relate to electrochemical cells with multiple separators, and methods of producing the same. A method of producing an electrochemical cell can include disposing an anode material onto an anode current collector, disposing a first separator on the anode material, disposing a cathode material onto a cathode current collector, disposing a second separator onto the cathode material, and disposing the first separator on the second separator to form the electrochemical cell. The anode material and/or the cathode material can be a semi-solid electrode material including an active material, a conductive material, and a volume of liquid electrolyte. In some embodiments, less than about 10% by volume of the liquid electrolyte evaporates during the forming of the electrochemical cell. In some embodiments, the method can further include wetting the first separator and/or the second separator with an electrolyte solution prior to coupling the first separator to the second separator.

A method for preparing a sulfur-carbon composite including: (a) stirring a porous carbon material in a solvent mixture including a carbonate-based compound and a volatile solvent and then drying; and (b) mixing the dried porous carbon material with sulfur and then depositing the sulfur in and on the porous carbon material by a heat melting method. A method for preparing a sulfur-carbon composite including: (a) mixing and stirring a porous carbon material and sulfur in a solvent mixture including a carbonate-based compound and a volatile solvent and then drying; and (b) depositing the sulfur in and on the porous carbon material by a heat melting method. In the sulfur-carbon composite, sulfur present in and on the porous carbon material, a proportion of β-monoclinic sulfur phase to sulfur contained in the sulfur-carbon composite is 90% or more based on a total molar ratio of sulfur.