An object is to reduce variation in shape of crystals that are to be formed. Solutions containing respective raw materials are made in an environment where an oxygen concentration is lower than that in air, the solutions containing the respective raw materials are mixed in an environment where an oxygen concentration is lower than that in air to form a mixture solution, and with use of the mixture solution, a composite oxide is formed by a hydrothermal method.

A method for producing a nickel cobalt complex hydroxide includes first crystallization of supplying a solution containing Ni, Co and Mn, a complex ion forming agent and a basic solution separately and simultaneously to one reaction vessel to obtain nickel cobalt complex hydroxide particles, and a second crystallization of, after the first crystallization, further supplying a solution containing nickel, cobalt, and manganese, a solution of a complex ion forming agent, a basic solution, and a solution containing said element M separately and simultaneously to the reaction vessel to crystallize a complex hydroxide particles containing nickel, cobalt, manganese and said element M on the nickel cobalt complex hydroxide particles crystallizing a complex hydroxide particles comprising Ni, Co, Mn and the element M on the nickel cobalt complex hydroxide particles.

The present invention relates to silicon coated metal microparticles in which at least a part of a surface of a metal microparticle composed of at least one of metal elements or metalloid elements is coated with silicon, wherein the silicon coated metal microparticles are a product obtained by a reduction treatment of silicon compound coated precursor microparticles in which at least a part of a surface of a precursor microparticle containing a precursor of the metal microparticles is coated with a silicon compound, or silicon doped precursor microparticles containing a precursor of the metal microparticles. Because it is possible particularly to strictly control a particle diameter of the silicon compound coated metal microparticle by controlling conditions of the reduction treatment, design of a more appropriate composition can become facilitated, compared with a conventional composition, in terms of diversified usages and desired properties of silicon compound coated metal microparticles.

A homogenously mixed metal manganese oxide. The mixed metal manganese oxide includes a homogenous mixture of manganese and at least two more metals. The additional metals may be cesium, nickel, copper, bismuth, cobalt, magnesium, iron, aluminum, scandium, vanadium, chromium, silver, gold, titanium, or, lead. A method of making the metal manganese oxide material includes mixing salts of manganese and the additional metals. The mixture may be activated and digested at an elevated temperature. Also, a battery having a cathode made from the homogenously mixed metal manganese oxide.

This application provides a lithium-ion battery and an apparatus. The lithium-ion battery includes an electrode assembly and an electrolyte. The electrode assembly includes a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator. A positive active material of the positive electrode plate includes Li.sub.x1Co.sub.y1M.sub.1-y1O.sub.2-z1Q.sub.z1, where 0.5≤x1≤1.2, 0.8≤y1<1.0, 0≤z1≤0.1, M is selected from one or more of Al, Ti, Zr, Y, and Mg, and Q is selected from one or more of F, Cl, and S. The electrolyte contains an additive A that is a polynitrile six-membered nitrogen-heterocyclic compound with a relatively low oxidation potential. The lithium-ion battery has superb cycle performance and storage performance, especially under high-temperature and high-voltage conditions.

Mixed-metal oxides and lithiated mixed-metal oxides are disclosed that involve compounds according to, respectively, Ni.sub.xMn.sub.yCo.sub.zMe.sub.αO.sub.β and Li.sub.1+γNi.sub.xMn.sub.yCo.sub.zMe.sub.αO.sub.β. In these compounds, Me is selected from B, Na, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Ag, In, and combinations thereof; 0≤x≤1; 0≤y≤1; 0≤z<1; x+y+z>0; 0≤α≤0.5; and x+y+α>0. For the mixed-metal oxides, 1≤β≤5. For the lithiated mixed-metal oxides, −0.1≤γ≤1.0 and 1.9≤β≤3. The mixed-metal oxides and the lithiated mixed-metal oxides include particles having an average density greater than or equal to 90% of an ideal crystalline density.

A method of manufacturing lithium-metal nitride including suspending a lithium-metal-oxide-powder (LMOP) within a gaseous mixture, incrementally heating the suspended LMOP to a holding temperature of between 400 and 800 degrees Celsius such that the LMOP reaches the holding temperature, and maintaining the LMOP at the holding temperature for a time period in order for the gaseous mixture and the LMOP to react to form a lithium-metal nitride powder (LMNP).

With an aim to provide an oxide particle with controlled color characteristics, the present invention provides a method for producing an oxide particle, wherein the color characteristics of the oxide particle are controlled by controlling a M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio, which is a ratio of a M-OH bond between an element (M) and a hydroxide group (OH) to a ratio of an M-O bond between the element (M) and oxygen (O), where the element (M) is one or plural different elements other than oxygen or hydrogen included in the oxide particle selected from metal oxide particles and semi-metal oxide particles. According to the present invention, by controlling the M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio of the metal oxide particle or the semi-metal oxide particle, the oxide particle with controlled color characteristics of any of reflectance, transmittance, molar absorption coefficient, hue, and saturation can be provided.

The present invention relates to a positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery including a lithium cobalt oxide having a core-shell structure, wherein the lithium cobalt-doped oxide of the core and the lithium cobalt-doped oxide of the shell include each independently three kinds of dopants and satisfy specific conditions, a method for producing the same, and a positive electrode and a secondary battery containing the positive electrode active material.

A positive electrode active material according to the present disclosure includes: a lithium composite oxide which includes Mn and at least one selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, and N, and S. The lithium composite oxide has a crystalline structure which belongs to the space group Fd-3m, and a relationship 1.40≤intensity ratio I.sub.Mn1/I.sub.Mn2≤1.90 is satisfied. The intensity ratio I.sub.Mn1/I.sub.Mn2 is a ratio of an intensity I.sub.Mn1 to an intensity I.sub.Mn2. The intensity I.sub.Mn1 and the intensity I.sub.Mn2 are intensities of a first proximity peak and a second proximity peak, respectively, of the Mn in a radial distribution function of the Mn included in the lithium composite oxide.