Disclosed are an aluminum-coated precursor and a preparation method therefor. The aluminum coated precursor has a chemical formula of xMCO.sub.3(1-x).Al(OH).sub.3, wherein M is at least one of nickel, cobalt and manganese, and x is 0.995-0.999. The aluminum-coated precursor has the advantages of a controllable particle size and uniform particle size distribution, a high degree of sphericity, a smooth particle surface, a high tap density, not easily breaking, and an excellent electrochemical performance and energy density.

In an embodiment, a negative electrode active material includes a particulate silicon-carbon nanocomposite (SCN) material composition including SCN particles that each have: a graphite particle core having an irregular morphology; a plurality of silicon nanostructures distributed around the graphite particle core, including silicon nanostructures exhibiting plate-like morphologies and which have an outer layer that includes SiO.sub.x; and an amorphous carbon layer or matrix that encapsulates the silicon nanostructures and at least portions of the irregular morphology graphite particle core, wherein the SCN material composition has a wt % material composition ratio of: (a) 20-60 wt % of graphite particle cores; (b) 35-60 wt % silicon nanostructures; and (c) 15-30 wt % amorphous carbon, wherein the combination of each such wt % totals to 100%. The negative electrode active material can exhibit an oxide content of less than 8 wt % provided by silicon nanostructure SiO.sub.x layers.

A positive electrode active material includes a lithium transition metal oxide represented by Formula 1, and a lithium-containing inorganic compound layer formed on a surface of the lithium transition metal oxide,
Li.sub.1+a(Ni.sub.bCo.sub.cX.sub.dM.sup.1.sub.eM.sup.2.sub.f).sub.1−aO.sub.2  [Formula 1] in Formula 1, X is at least one selected from the group consisting of manganese (Mn) and aluminum (Al), M.sup.1 is at least one selected from the group consisting of sulfur (S), fluorine (F), phosphorus (P), and nitrogen (N), M.sup.2 is at least one selected from the group consisting of zirconium (Zr), boron (B), cobalt (Co), tungsten (W), magnesium (Mg), cerium (Ce), tantalum (Ta), titanium (Ti), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), hafnium (Hf), F, P, S, lanthanum (La), and yttrium (Y), 0≤a≤0.1, 0.6≤b≤0.99, 0≤c≤0.2, 0≤d≤0.2, 0<e≤0.1, and 0<f≤0.1. A method of preparing the positive electrode active material, a positive electrode and a lithium secondary battery are also provided.

Disclosed herein are materials and processes for production of lithium oxide materials, such as lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO), having a small particle size and high density for use in lithium-ion batteries. Some embodiments are directed to forming and then heating a multiphase material comprising lithium carbonate and La.sub.2Zr.sub.2O.sub.7 in the presence of hydrogen gas at a temperature below the melting point of the lithium carbonate, such that at least a portion of the lithium carbonate decomposes to form lithium oxide. In some embodiments, the lithium oxide is heated to a temperature sufficient to crystallize the lithium oxide to form the solid electrolyte material comprising lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO) particles.

Methods of preparing graphene/graphene oxide particulates under mild conditions, comprising reacting pristine graphene with hydrogen peroxide and a source of iron to oxidize the outer surface of the pristine graphene particulates in solution and yield graphene/graphene oxide particulates. Methods and articles incorporating the same are also disclosed.

The present disclosure is related to a method for applying a functional compound on sulfur particles by means of an atmospheric pressure plasma discharge including a gas or an activated gas flow resulting from the atmospheric pressure plasma discharge. The coating composition includes an inorganic electrically conductive compound, an electrically conductive carbon compound, an organic precursor compound of a conjugated polymer, a precursor of a hybrid organic-inorganic compound, or a mixture, and the functional compound provides the sulfur particles with an electrically conductive surface.

An oxidized zinc pigment has been developed that can be used in a waterborne coating. The zinc metal allows for improved stability in waterborne systems while retaining the level of activity required for an anticorrosive material. This pigment is oxidized enough to prevent corrosion and still be dispersed in the waterborne coating, while still allowing for cathodic and anodic corrosion protection in the coating once applied to a metal surface. This zinc pigment may also be used in a waterborne ink or coating system and also for coated metal articles.

A silicon material can include a silicon aggregate comprising a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles welded together. The silicon aggregate can optionally have a polyhedral morphology. A method can include: receiving a plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles and cold welding the plurality of porous silicon nanoparticles into an aggregated silicon particle.

A method for preparing a spheronized carbonaceous negative electrode active material, including the steps of: mixing microgranular scaly graphite with macrogranular scaly graphite, wherein the macrogranular scaly graphite has a larger average particle diameter than the microgranular scaly graphite, to form a mixture, and spheronizing the mixture to prepare spheronized granulated particles; carrying out carbon coating of the spheronized granulated particles; and disintegrating the carbon-coated spheronized granulated particles.

A method for producing a positive electrode active material includes preparing a lithium transition metal oxide in the form of a secondary particle in which primary particles are aggregated, mixing the lithium transition metal oxide and a carbon-based material of a hollow structure having a plurality of pores to form a mixture, and surface treating the mixture in a mechanical manner to form a carbon coating layer on the surface of the lithium transition metal oxide, wherein the carbon-based material of a hollow structure having a plurality of pores has a specific surface area of 200 m2/g or greater and a graphitization degree(ID/IG) of 0.5 or greater.