The invention relates to active electrode materials and to methods for the manufacture of active electrode materials. Such materials are of interest as active electrode materials in lithium-ion or sodium-ion batteries. The invention provides an active electrode material expressed by the general formula [M1].sub.x[M2].sub.(1−x)[Nb]y[O].sub.z, wherein: M1 and M2 are different; M1 represents one or more of Ti, Mg, V, Cr, W, Zr, Mo, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Ca, K, Ni, Co, Al, Sn, Mn, Ce, Te, Se, Si, Sb, Y, La, Hf, Ta, Re, Zn, In, or Cd; M2 represents one or more of Mg, V, Cr, W, Zr, Mo, Cu, Ga, Ge, Ca, K, Ni, Co, Al, Sn, Mn, Ce, Sb, Y, La, Hf, Ta, Zn, In, or Cd; and wherein x satisfies 0<x<0.5; y satisfies 0.5≤y≤49 z satisfies 4≤z≤124.

Provided is a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the active material including a lithium-transition metal composite oxide containing lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese, having a layered structure, having a ratio D.sub.50/D.sub.SEM of from 1 to 4, and having a ratio of a number of moles of nickel to a total number of moles of metals other than lithium of greater than 0.8 and less than 1, a ratio of a number of moles of cobalt to the total number of moles of metals other than lithium of less than 0.2, a ratio of a number of moles of manganese to the total number of moles of metals other than lithium of less than 0.2, and a ratio of the number of moles of manganese to a sum of the number of moles of cobalt and the number of moles of manganese of less than 0.58.

The present application is related to cancer immunotherapy, e.g. stimulation of T cell mediated anti-tumor therapy. Accordingly, described herein are methods of inducing or enhancing an adaptive immune response to a cancer in a subject and methods of treating cancer in a subject. In some embodiments, the methods hyperactivate dendritic cells (DCs), which induce T helper type I (TH1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in the absence of TH2 immunity.

A positive electrode active material that has high capacity and excellent charge and discharge cycle performance for a secondary battery is provided. The positive electrode active material includes a group of particles including a first group of particles and a second group of particles. The group of particles includes lithium, cobalt, nickel, aluminum, magnesium, oxygen, and fluorine. When the number of cobalt atoms included in the group of particles is taken as 100, the number of nickel atoms is greater than or equal to 0.05 and less than or equal to 2, the number of aluminum atoms is greater than or equal to 0.05 and less than or equal to 2, and the number of magnesium atoms is greater than or equal to 0.1 and less than or equal to 6. When particle size distribution in the group of particles is measured by a laser diffraction and scattering method, the first group of particles has a first peak and the second group of particles has a second peak; the first peak has a local maximum value at longer than or equal to 2 μm and shorter than or equal to 4 μm, and the second peak has a local maximum value at longer than or equal to 9 μm and shorter than or equal to 25 μm.

The positive electrode active material is capable of reducing positive electrode resistance, exhibiting better output characteristics, and having high mechanical strength when the positive electrode active material is used in a lithium ion secondary battery. Secondary particles have a d50 of 3.0 to 7.0 μm, a BET specific surface area of 2.0 to 5.0 m.sup.2/g, a tap density of 1.0 to 2.0 g/cm.sup.3, and an oil absorption amount of 30 to 60 ml/100 g. In each of a plurality of primary particles having a primary particle size of 0.1 to 1.0 μm, a coefficient of variation of the concentration of an additive element M is 1.5 or less. The volume of a linking section between the primary particles per primary particle, obtained from the total volume of the linking section and the number of primary particles constituting the secondary particles, is 5×10.sup.5 to 9×10.sup.7 nm.sup.3.

The positive electrode active material for a secondary battery includes a lithium-transition metal composite oxide. The lithium-transition metal composite oxide is represented by the general formula Li.sub.α[Li.sub.xMn.sub.yCo.sub.zMe.sub.(1−x−y−z)]O.sub.2 (in the formula, Me is at least one selected from Ni, Fe, Ti, Bi, and Nb, 0.5<α<1, 0.05<x<0.25, 0.4<y <0.7, 0<z<0.25) and has a crystal structure of O2 structure. The particle size distribution of the lithium-transition metal composite oxide has a first peak on the small particle size side and a second peak on the large particle size side.

A cristobalite includes: a d50 particle size selected within a range of from 1 μm to 15 μm; an L color coordinate of greater than 96; a color coordinate of less than 1; and a b color coordinate of 1 or less, in which the cristobalite is a powder. Also provided are compositions containing the cristobalite, coatings formed with compositions, and methods of preparing cristobalite.

Regeneration of degraded cathode particles in lithium-ion batteries is achieved using a combination of hydrothermal treatment of cycled electrode particles followed by short thermal annealing. The methods provide for direct regeneration of Li-ion cathode materials including LiCoO.sub.2, LiMn.sub.2O.sub.4, LiFePO.sub.4, and Li.sub.xNi.sub.y Mn.sub.z Co.sub.1−y−zO.sub.2, in an economical and environmentally-friendly process.

A method for relithiating cathode material from spent lithium-based batteries, the method comprising: (i) mixing delithiated cathode material and a lithium salt with an ionic liquid in which the lithium salt is at least partially soluble to form an initial mixture; (ii) heating the initial mixture to a temperature of 100° C. to 300° C. to result in relithiation of the delithiated cathode material; and (iii) separating the ionic liquid from the relithiated cathode material; wherein, in embodiments, the cathode material is a lithium metal oxide, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Al, Zr, Ti, Nb, and combinations thereof, or wherein the cathode material has the formula LiNi.sub.xMn.sub.yCo.sub.zO.sub.2, wherein x>0, y>0, z>0, and x+y+z=1; wherein, in some embodiments, the ionic liquid has a nitrogen-containing cationic portion, such as an imidazolium ionic liquid.

A method for preparing a powder comprising an intimate mixture of U.sub.3O.sub.8 particles and PuO.sub.2 particles and which may further comprise particles of ThO.sub.2 or NpO.sub.2. The method comprises: preparing, via oxalic precipitations, an aqueous suspension S.sub.1 of particles of uranium(IV) oxalate and an aqueous suspension S.sub.2 of particles of plutonium(IV) oxalate; mixing the aqueous suspension S.sub.1 with the aqueous suspension S.sub.2 to obtain an aqueous suspension S.sub.1+2; separating the aqueous suspension S.sub.1+2 into an aqueous phase and a solid phase comprising the particles of uranium(IV) oxalate and the particles of plutonium(IV) oxalate; and calcining the solid phase to convert (1) the particles of uranium(IV) oxalate to particles of triuranium octoxide and (2) the particles of plutonium(IV) oxalate to particles of plutonium(IV) dioxide, whereby the powder is obtained.