A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that is an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein a positive electrode contains a lithium-transition metal composite oxide containing Ni, Al and Sr as a positive electrode active substance. In the lithium-transition metal composite oxide, the content of Ni is 80-95 mol %, the content of Al is 8.0 mol % or less, the content of Sr is 1.2 mol % or less, and the proportion of metallic elements other than Li that are present in a Li layer is 0.5-2.0 mol %. A negative electrode has a Sr-containing coating film formed on a surface of a negative electrode mixture layer. The content of Sr in the coating film is 20-400 ppm relative to the total mass of the negative electrode mixture layer and the coating film.

The present invention relates to a surface-modified particulate lithium nickel oxide material. The invention also relates to a process of preparing a particulate lithium nickel oxide material. Further aspects of the invention include a cathode comprising the particulate lithium nickel oxide material, a lithium secondary cell or battery comprising such a cathode, and the use of the particulate lithium nickel oxide to improve the capacity retention of a lithium secondary cell or battery.

A cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery according to embodiments of the present invention has a high-nickel composition and includes a lithium-nickel composite metal oxide particle in which lithium, nickel and a metal having an oxidation number of +2 are combined in a predetermined range. A cation disorder caused when a nickel ion is present at a lithium-ion site is reduced to improve structural stability of the cathode active material. An initial capacity and a battery efficiency of a lithium secondary battery can be improved using the cathode active material.

A supported catalyst for decomposing an organic substance that includes a support and a catalyst particle supported on the support. The catalyst particle contains a perovskite-type composite oxide represented by A.sub.xB.sub.yM.sub.zO.sub.w, where the A contains at least one selected from Ba and Sr, the B contains Zr, the M is at least one selected from Mn, Co, Ni and Fe, y+z=1, x≥0.995, z≤0.4, and w is a positive value satisfying electrical neutrality. A film thickness of a catalyst-supporting film supported on the support and containing the catalyst particle is 5 μm or more, or a supported amount as determined by normalizing a mass of the catalyst particle supported on the support by a volume of the support is 45 g/L or more.

A method for producing a positive electrode material for a nonaqueous secondary battery includes the steps of mixing a compound containing lithium, a compound containing nickel and BaTiO.sub.3 to form a mixed material; and sintering the mixed material to form a lithium transition metal composite oxide.

A positive electrode active material for nonaqueous electrolyte secondary batteries comprises a lithium transition metal composite oxide that has secondary particles each formed from aggregated primary particles and a surface modification layer that is formed on the surface of each of the primary particles of the lithium transition metal composite oxide, in which the lithium transition metal composite oxide contains at least Al and Ni in an amount of 80 mol % or more relative to the total number of moles of metal elements excluding Li, the surface modification layer contains W and at least one of Sr and Ca, and the content of W in the surface modification layer is 0.075 mol % or less relative to the total number of moles of the metal elements excluding Li in the lithium transition metal composite oxide.

Provided are electrochemically active secondary particles that provide excellent capacity and improved cycle life. The particles are characterized by a plurality of nanocrystals with small average crystallite size. The reduced crystallite size reduces impedance generation during cycling thereby improving capacity and cycle life. Also provided are methods of forming electrochemically active materials, as well as electrodes and electrochemical cells employing the secondary particles.

This positive electrode material comprises a lithium transition metal complex oxide which contains at least 80 mol % Ni in terms of the total mol number of metal elements excluding Li, and which has a total Co content of less than 5 mol %. The lithium transition metal complex oxide is formed as secondary particles obtained by aggregating primary particles, wherein at least one element A selected from Ca and Sr is present on the surface of the primary particles in the amount of 0.01-1 mol %, inclusive, in terms of the total mol number of the metal elements excluding Li. In addition, at least one element B selected from B, Zr, W, Al, Nb, Mo, and Ti is present on the surface of the secondary particles in the amount of 0.05-2 mol %, inclusive, in terms of the total mol number of the Ni in the complex oxide.

A positive electrode material for a lithium-ion secondary battery which has high capacity and excellent charge and discharge cycle performance, and a manufacturing method thereof are provided, or a method of manufacturing a positive electrode material with high productivity is provided. The positive electrode material for a lithium-ion secondary battery includes a crystal represented by a crystal structure with a space group R-3m, a first region, and a second region, which is in contact with at least part of an outer side of the first region and whose outer edge corresponds to a surface of the first particle. The ratio of manganese atoms to cobalt atoms in the first region is lower than the ratio of manganese atoms to cobalt atoms in the second region. The ratio of fluorine atoms to oxygen atoms in the first region is lower than the ratio of fluorine atoms to oxygen atoms in the second region.

A positive active material for a rechargeable lithium battery includes a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1, Li.sub.aNi.sub.xCo.sub.yMe.sub.zM.sup.1.sub.kM.sup.2.sub.pO.sub.2 wherein, 0.9≦a≦1.1, 0.7≦x≦0.93, 0<y≦0.3, 0<z≦0.3, 0.001≦k≦0.006, 0.001 ≦p≦0.005, x+y+z+k+p=1, Me is Mn or Al, M.sup.1 is a divalent element, and M.sup.2 is a tetravalent element.