An immobilized selenium body, made from carbon and selenium and optionally sulfur, makes selenium more stable, requiring a higher temperature or an increase in kinetic energy for selenium to escape from the immobilized selenium body and enter a gas system, as compared to selenium alone. Immobilized selenium localized in a carbon skeleton can be utilized in a rechargeable battery. Immobilization of the selenium can impart compression stress on both the carbon skeleton and the selenium. Such compression stress enhances the electrical conductivity in the carbon skeleton and among the selenium particles and creates an interface for electrons to be delivered and or harvested in use of the battery. A rechargeable battery made from immobilized selenium can be charged or discharged at a faster rate over conventional batteries and can demonstrate excellent cycling stability.

Disclosed is a lithium complex oxide and method of manufacturing the same, more particularly, a lithium complex oxide effective in improving the characteristics of capacity, resistance, and lifetime with reduced residual lithium and with different interplanar distances of crystalline structure between a primary particle locating in a internal part of secondary particle and a primary particle locating on the surface part of the secondary particle, and a method of preparing the same.

Alkoxide magnesium halide compounds having the formula:
ROMgX(1)
wherein R is a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group that is unsubstituted, or alternatively, substituted with one or more heteroatom linkers and/or one or more heteroatom-containing groups comprising at least one heteroatom selected from fluorine, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur, and silicon; and X is a halide atom. Also described are electrolyte compositions containing a compound of Formula (1) in a suitable polar aprotic or ionic solvent, as well as magnesium batteries in which such electrolytes are incorporated.

The present disclosure relates to a positive electrode active material and a positive electrode comprising metal nano particles, and a lithium-sulfur battery comprising the same, and in particular, to a positive electrode for a lithium-sulfur battery comprising a positive electrode active material of a sulfur-metal catalyst-carbon composite, and a lithium-sulfur battery comprising the same. The lithium-sulfur battery using a positive electrode comprising metal nano particles according to the present disclosure increases reactivity of sulfur, a positive electrode active material, and increases electrical conductivity of an electrode by the dispersion of the metal nano particles in the electrode so as to increase reactivity and electric capacity of the positive electrode. In addition, battery reaction products such as lithium sulfide (Li.sub.2S) are readily decomposed by a catalyst reaction, and therefore, lifespan characteristics can be improved.

An electrolyte for a lithium-sulfur battery including a lithium salt, a non-aqueous organic solvent, and an additive. The non-aqueous organic solvent includes an ether compound and a heterocyclic compound. The heterocyclic compound includes one or more double bonds and comprises an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom. The additive includes a carbonate compound.

Disclosed is a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including: a negative electrode that contains a negative electrode material mixture; a separator, a positive electrode that is provided to oppose the negative electrode via the separator, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode material mixture contains a negative electrode active material. The negative electrode active material contains 3 mass % or more of a silicon-containing material. The silicon-containing material contains carbon composite particles. The carbon composite particles have a carbon phase and a silicon phase dispersed in the carbon phase. The non-aqueous electrolyte contains a 5- or 6-membered cyclic compound component that contains a sulfur element as a ring-constituting element.

Disclosed is a lithium-sulfur battery having a high energy density, which is capable of utilizing 80% or more of the theoretical discharging capacity, 1,675 mAh/g, of sulfur by using SSE (sparingly solvating electrolyte) electrolyte system (discharging capacity: 1,600 mAh/gs) rather than the existing catholyte electrolyte system (discharging capacity: 1,200 mAh/gs) and by not using a nitrile-based solvent, and also is capable of implementing an excellent life performance by using a positive electrode carbon material having high specific surface area. The lithium-sulfur battery comprises an electrolyte including a first solvent containing a fluorine-based ether compound, a second solvent containing a glyme-based compound, and a lithium salt; and a positive electrode including an active material containing sulfur and a carbon material, and the carbon material includes two or more carbon materials having different average pore sizes from each other.

Disclosed is an electrochemical cell comprising a lithium anode and a sulfur-containing cathode and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The cell exhibits high utilization of the electroactive sulfur-containing material of the cathode and a high charge-discharge efficiency.

A separator is provided and includes a functional resin layer containing a resin material and an inorganic oxide filler, having a porous interconnected structure in which many pores are mutually interconnected and having a contact angle against an electrolytic solution of not more than 11 degrees.

Methods of making cathodes for lithium-sulfur batteries are disclosed, in addition to cathodes and batteries containing the cathodes. A method of making a cathode is disclosed which includes extracting lignosulfonate from brown liquor, pyrolyzing the lignosulfonate, carbonizing the pyrolyzed lignosulfonate to form a carbon-sulfur compound, and forming the carbon-sulfur compound into a cathode. A cathode for a lithium-sulfur battery is disclosed which includes pyrolized lignosulfonate recovered from brown liquor, and carbon. The pyrolized lignosulfonate and carbon are suspended in a matrix having a substantially homogenous distribution of sulfur. A battery is disclosed in which an anode including an electrolye, lithium, is provided along with a membrane separate and a carbon comprising a carbon-sulfur compound derived from lignosulfonates.