Provided is a rechargeable lithium-air battery that improves charge-discharge energy efficiency and has good charge-discharge cycle performance. The rechargeable lithium-air battery includes: an air electrode including carbon; a negative electrode including metallic lithium or a lithium-containing substance; and an electrolyte in contact with the air electrode and the negative electrode. The electrolyte includes a salen-based metal complex and a quinone. The quinone includes any one or more of anthraquinone, 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, 7,7,8,8-tetracyanodimethane, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone, tetrahydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, and 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone.

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rechargeable electromagnetic induction battery comprising: a first electrode, which comprises heat sink and an anode; a second electrode, which comprises heat sink and a cathode; an inductor coil; and an electrolytic solution contained between the first and second electrodes. Also, there is provided a method of charging an electromagnetic induction battery, comprising the steps of: attaching a voltage source to the battery, applying a direct current voltage to the battery for a first period of time, and applying an alternating current voltage to the battery for a second period of time, wherein the battery has an anode, cathode, inductor and an electrolytic solution comprising electrons, wherein the alternating current generates a magnetic field which excites the electrons in the electrolytic solution to an upper energy state.

An object is to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte and a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery which have excellent discharge load characteristics and are excellent in high-temperature storability, cycle characteristics, high capacity, continuous-charge characteristics, storability, gas evolution inhibition during continuous charge, high-current-density charge/discharge characteristics, discharge load characteristics, etc. The object has been accomplished with a nonaqueous electrolyte which comprises: a monofluorophosphate and/or a difluorophosphate; and further a compound having a specific chemical structure or specific properties.

Described herein are liquid, organosilicon compounds that including a substituent that is a cyano (—CN), cyanate (—OCN), isocyanate (—NCO), thiocyanate (—SCN) or isothiocyanate (—NCS). The organosilicon compounds are useful in electrolyte compositions and can be used in any electrochemical device where electrolytes are conventionally used.

A novel wound electrode assembly for a lithium oxyhalide electrochemical cell is described. The electrode assembly comprises an elongate cathode of an electrochemically non-active but electrically conductive carbonaceous material disposed between an inner elongate portion and an outer elongate portion of a unitary lithium anode. That way, lithium faces the entire length of the opposed major sides of the cathode. This inner anode portion/cathode/outer anode portion configuration is rolled into a wound-shaped electrode assembly that is housed inside a cylindrically-shaped casing. A cylindrically-shaped sheet-type spring centered in the electrode assembly presses outwardly to limit axial movement of the electrode assembly. In one embodiment, all the non-active components, except for the cathode current collector, which is nickel, are made of stainless-steel. This provides the cell with a low magnetic signature without adversely affecting the cell's high-rate capability.

A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a core including a SiO.sub.2 matrix and a Si grain, and a coating layer continuously or discontinuously coated on the core. The coating layer includes SiC and C, and the peak area ratio of the SiC (111) plane to the Si (111) plane as measured by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) using a CuKα ray ranges from about 0.01 to about 0.5.

An object is to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte and a nonaqueous-electrolyte secondary battery which have excellent discharge load characteristics and are excellent in high-temperature storability, cycle characteristics, high capacity, continuous-charge characteristics, storability, gas evolution inhibition during continuous charge, high-current-density charge/discharge characteristics, discharge load characteristics, etc. The object has been accomplished with a nonaqueous electrolyte which comprises: an acyclic carbonate having a halogen atom, a monofluorophosphate and/or a difluorophosphate; and further a compound having a specific chemical structure or specific properties.

Provided is a nonaqueous electrolytic solution having an excellent capacity retention rate and an excellent output retention rate during cycles. The nonaqueous electrolytic solution includes a nonaqueous solvent; a hexafluorophosphate (A); a compound (B) represented by the following formula (1) in which an arbitrary hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom may be substituted with a fluorine atom; and at least one salt (C) selected from the group consisting of fluorophosphates other than the hexafluorophosphate (A), fluorosulfonates, imide salts represented by MN(SO.sub.2F).sub.2, wherein M represents an alkali metal, and oxalate salts. ##STR00001##

Provided is a rechargeable lithium-air battery that improves charge-discharge energy efficiency and has good charge-discharge cycle performance. The rechargeable lithium-air battery includes: an air electrode including carbon; a negative electrode including metallic lithium or a lithium-containing substance; and an electrolyte in contact with the air electrode and the negative electrode. The electrolyte includes a salen-based metal complex and a quinone. The quinone includes any one or more of anthraquinone, 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, 7,7,8,8-tetracyanodimethane, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone, tetrahydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone, and 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone.

A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a core including a SiO.sub.2 matrix and a Si grain, and a coating layer continuously or discontinuously coated on the core. The coating layer includes SiC and C, and the peak area ratio of the SiC (111) plane to the Si (111) plane as measured by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) using a CuKα ray ranges from about 0.01 to about 0.5.