A disordered rocksalt lithium metal oxide and oxyfluoride as in manganese-vanadium oxides and oxyfluorides well suited for use in high capacity lithium-ion battery electrodes such as those found in lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. A lithium metal oxide or oxyfluoride example is one having a general formula: Li.sub.xM.sub.aM.sub.bO.sub.2-yF.sub.y, with the lithium metal oxide or oxyfluoride having a cation-disordered rocksalt structure of one of (a) or (b), with (a) 1.09?x?1.35, 0.1?a?0.7, 0.1?b?0.7, and 0?y<0.7; M is a low valent transition metal and M is a high-valent transition metal; and (b) 1.1?x?1.33, 0.1?a?0.41, 0.39?b?0.67, and 0?y?0.3; M is Mn; and M is V or Mo. The oxides or oxyfluorides balance accessible Li capacity and transition metal capacity. An immediate application example is for high energy density Li-cathode battery materials, where the cathode energy is a key limiting factor to overall performance. The second structure (b) is optimized for maximal accessible Li capacity.

A tranition metal composite hydroxide can be used as a precursor to allow a lithium transition metal composite oxide having a small and highly uniform particle diameter to be obtained. A method also is provided for producing a transition metal composite hydroxide represented by a general formula (1) M.sub.xW.sub.sA.sub.t(OH).sub.2+, coated with a compound containing the additive element, and serving as a precursor of a positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries. The method includes producing a composite hydroxide particle, forming nuclei, growing a formed nucleus; and forming a coating material containing a metal oxide or hydroxide on the surfaces of composite hydroxide particles obtained through the upstream step.

A positive electrode active material, a method for the preparation thereof and a positive electrode plate, a secondary battery and an electrical device containing the same are provided. The positive electrode active material has a core-shell structure, comprising a core and a cladding layer covering at least a portion of said core, wherein said core has a chemical formula of Li.sub.aA.sub.xMn.sub.1-yB.sub.yP.sub.1-zC.sub.zO.sub.4-nD.sub.n, said cladding layer comprises a polymer containing an electron withdrawing group. The positive electrode active material of the present application enables a secondary battery to have a relatively high energy density, while further having a significantly improved rate performance, cycling performance and/or high-temperature stability.

A method of producing perovskite nanocrystalline particles using a liquid crystal includes a first operation for preparing a mixed solution including a first precursor compound, a second precursor compound, and a first solvent. a second operation for preparing a precursor solution by adding an organic ligand to the prepared mixed solution, a third operation for performing crystallization treatment after adding the prepared precursor solution to a reactor containing a liquid crystal, and a fourth operation for separating the perovskite nanocrystalline particles from the crystallized solution through a centrifugal separator.

A phosphor including a crystal phase of an aluminate compound containing a metal element M constituting a luminescent center ion and aluminum, in which the crystal phase contains crystallites, and an average size of the crystallites is 2 to 100 ?m.

Nanowires useful as heterogeneous catalysts are provided. The nanowire catalysts are useful in a variety of catalytic reactions, for example, the oxidative coupling of methane to ethylene. Related methods for use and manufacture of the same are also disclosed.

Provided is an aluminate fluorescent material having a composition represented by the formula X1.sub.aMg.sub.bMn.sub.cAl.sub.dO.sub.a+b+c+1.5d, in which X1 is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ba, Sr; and Ca, a, b, c, and d satisfy 0.5a1.0, 0.0b<0.4, 0.3c0.7, 8.5d13.0, and 9.0b+c+d14.0.

An improved process is provided for forming a precursor to a lithium metal oxide. An improved lithium metal oxide formed by calcining the precursor is also provided. The process includes providing lithium bicarbonate in a first aqueous mixture. The lithium bicarbonate is then reacted with metal acetate thereby forming a second aqueous mixture comprising metal carbonate, lithium acetate, acetic acid and water wherein the acetic acid is neutralized with lithium hydroxide thereby forming a first mixture comprising metal carbonate and lithium acetate. The first mixture is separated into a second mixture and a third mixture wherein the second mixture comprises the metal carbonate and a first portion of lithium acetate with metal carbonate and lithium acetate being in a predetermined molar ratio. The third mixture comprises a second portion of lithium acetate. The second mixture is dried thereby forming the precursor comprising metal carbonate and lithium acetate in the predetermined molar ratio.

An improved process is provided for forming a precursor to a lithium metal oxide. An improved lithium metal oxide formed by calcining the precursor is also provided. The process includes providing lithium bicarbonate in a first aqueous mixture. The lithium bicarbonate is then reacted with metal acetate thereby forming a second aqueous mixture comprising metal carbonate, lithium acetate, acetic acid and water wherein the acetic acid is neutralized with lithium hydroxide thereby forming a first mixture comprising metal carbonate and lithium acetate. The first mixture is separated into a second mixture and a third mixture wherein the second mixture comprises the metal carbonate and a first portion of lithium acetate with metal carbonate and lithium acetate being in a predetermined molar ratio. The third mixture comprises a second portion of lithium acetate. The second mixture is dried thereby forming the precursor comprising metal carbonate and lithium acetate in the predetermined molar ratio.

The invention relates to electrodes that contain active materials of the formula: A.sub.aM.sub.bX.sub.xO.sub.y wherein A is one or more alkali metals selected from lithium, sodium and potassium; M is selected from one or more transition metals and/or one or more non-transition metals and/or one or more metalloids; X comprises one or more atoms selected from niobium, antimony, tellurium, tantalum, bismuth and selenium; and further wherein 0<a6; b is in the range: 0<b4; x is in the range 0<x1 and y is in the range 2y10. Such electrodes are useful in, for example, sodium and/or lithium ion battery applications.